James Drennan Obituary

James Cyril Drennan, MD.



James Cyril

Drennan, MD lived a full and adventurous life. He passed away peacefully on June 7th at home in Albuquerque with his three children by his side. He was just shy of his 87th birthday.

Jim was born June 22, 1935 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts to James Cyril Drennan and Catherine Cullen Drennan. He graduated from Cornell University with BA in English Literature in 1957 and then continued his studies at Cornell University Medical College in New York, graduating in 1961. Jim completed his surgical internship and residency at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. He met his future wife, Julie Jordan, a nurse, there. They were married on February 2, 1963 in Cleveland and enjoyed a devoted marriage of 57 years filled with many adventures.

Jim entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1963 and served as a captain and assistant post surgeon at the Kagnew Communication Base in Asmara, Ethiopia. Jim and Julie travelled extensively across East Africa, collecting friends and stories wherever they went. He served in Ethiopia until 1966, when he returned to Cleveland and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at University Hospitals. Jim's medical career then took them to Sheffield, England where he served as a National Institutes of Health Special Research Fellow.

Jim's initial academic position was at the University of Colorado in Denver from 1971 to 1974. Then he moved to Newington Children's Hospital in Connecticut, where he was the Director of Orthopedics until 1987. At that time, he and his family moved west to Albuquerque where he took on the role of Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of Carrie Tingly Children's Hospital at the University of New Mexico. The former head of the University's Health System once stated, "Carrie Tingley is the crown jewel of UNM." In 2001, Jim retired from the UNM, but he continued to see patients in the Lovelace Health System for an additional five years.

He was a member of many national and international orthopedic academic societies, including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Pediatric Orthopedic Society, and the New Mexico Orthopedic Association. He served as both an oral (1975-2000) and written (1987-2000) examiner for the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. He also gave instructional course lectures for 22 consecutive years at the American Academy of Orthopedics annual meeting.

A prolific academic writer, Jim authored hundreds of national and international publications. He wrote four major pediatric orthopedic textbooks, including Drennan's The Child's Foot and Ankle, which was first published in 2010.

In addition to his devotion to pediatric orthopedics and his thousands of patients and their families around the globe, Jim loved to travel the world. He and his beloved Julie visited 87 countries together. He regaled his children and friends with tales of Africa, particularly Ethiopia. Julie was a nurse for the early Peace Corps groups in Ethiopia and they made lifelong friends with Peace Corps Volunteers. Julie once commented that Jim had lectured and performed surgery on four continents.

Jim was active in the Albuquerque community as well. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Sandia Preparatory School in the 1990s. He also served a chair and member of the Architectural Control Committee of the Los Poblanos Estates for many years.

Originally from the Berkshires, Jim was a passionate life-long Boston sports fan. He always enjoyed rooting for his favorite teams, the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics.

Jim is survived by his three children: Megan Drennan Meline of Bethesda, Maryland (Jed); Jocelyn Drennan of Albuquerque; and Daniel Drennan of Tacoma, Washington (Juniper); as well as his three grandsons Theo (19), Alex (14), and Finnegan (12).

This fall, the family will hold a private funeral service and then a celebration of his and Julie's lives with friends and family. Julie passed away in January 2020, just before the pandemic. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of his favorite local charities, Roadrunner Foodbank

(www.rrfb.org).