[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 149 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. RAZA DILAWARI

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Raza 
Ali Dilawari, a great Memphis surgeon known for his work in the field 
of oncology. He was born in the Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan and 
completed medical school there at King Edward Medical College in 1968. 
He then completed his surgical residency at SUNY Upstate Medical Center 
in Syracuse, New York and his surgical oncology fellowship at the 
University of Rochester at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New 
York and the Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, New York. Dr. 
Dilawari then went on to spend 35 years in Memphis serving the 
community as a doctor, teacher and mentor, touching thousands of lives 
in the process.
  Dr. Dilawari was appointed Assistant Professor of the Department of 
Surgery at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in 
Memphis in 1978. He became the Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs 
there as well as Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery at 
Methodist University Hospital. His time in academia left a great legacy 
of research and peer-reviewed publications, but arguably his most 
significant contribution to Memphis was his mentoring of medical 
students and the training of over 200 surgical residents, ensuring his 
lasting impact and legacy. His focus and dedication to training the 
next generation of doctors and surgeons will have a lasting impact on 
patients in Memphis and around the world.
  In addition to his great work as a teacher, Dr. Dilawari opened a 
surgical oncology practice at the Regional Medical Center and Methodist 
Central Hospital in Memphis. His surgical practice allowed him to 
operate on thousands of patients over the years, often without regard 
to payment. Dr. Dilawari was also very active in his community as a 
founding member of the Al Rasool Center and through his work with the 
Islamic Society of Memphis. Dr. Dilawari was a gracious and kind man 
who, until the end of his life, maintained the good nature and wisdom 
he had gained from years of treating cancer patients.
  Dr. Raza Dilawari passed away on September 18, 2011, at 64 years of 
age. The Memphis community mourns the loss of one of its great 
citizens. He is survived by his beloved family: his wife Bushra A. 
Dilawari, his five children Asma, Amina, Mariam, Asad and Saba, his 
granddaughter Zara as well as a host of other family and friends across 
Tennessee and the world. We are grateful to have had the pleasure of 
his dedication, skill and compassion in the Memphis community. His was 
a life well-lived.

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