Edward Vincent Hannigan

December 13, 1945 - August 3, 2010

If I were still to live, the office of infirmarian [caregiver] is the one which would please me most.
I would not ask for it, but if it came direct by obedience I should think myself highly privileged.
It seems to me that I would discharge its duties with a tender love, thinking always of our Saviour saying:
"I was sick and you visited me".
The infirmary bell should be for you as heavenly music.
You ought purposely to pass along beneath the windows of the sick to give them facility in calling you and asking your services.
Ought you not to consider yourself like a little slave whom everyone has a right to command?
If you could but see the Angels who from the height of Heaven watch you battling in the arena!
They await the end of the combat to cover you with flowers and wreaths.
The good God does not disdain these combats, unknown and therefore all the more meritorious.
"The patient man is better than the valiant, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh cities".

By our little acts of charity practiced in the shade we convert souls far away, we help missionaries, we win for them abundant alms; and by that means build actual dwellings spiritual and material for our Eucharistic Lord.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus
The Little Flower of Jesus
Carmelite of the Monastery of Lisieux, 1873-1897


In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to
establish the Dr. Edward V. Hannigan Professorship in Gynecologic
Oncology. Memorial donations can be sent to:

The University of Texas Medical Branch
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Attention: Mr. Doug Butler
301 University Boulevard
Route 0587
Galveston, TX 77555

checks can be made out to: UTMB, Dr. E.V. Hannigan Professorship Fund

Edward was a great husband, father, brother, son, "chief", friend, doctor, teacher and colleague.
If you would like to share a funny or touching story or anecdote, please send it to:

inmemoryofedward@gmail.com

or

The Hannigans
24 Cross St.
Hopkinton, MA 01748

The family will be collecting stories and make them available below, as well in a simple bound collection.


He was a caring and kind physician who always made me laugh and yet get to the serious side of my health problems. I am forever grateful for his care and knowing him. Galveston and UTMB have lost a hero and one of a kind. -Vicki Lewis


First, from a recollection from our mutual friend Harry Kreisler, 1963 class valedictorian and now executive director of the Institute of International Relations at the University of California at Berkeley, who sends condolences:

A note Edward is said to have presented to his gym teacher at Ball High, purportedly over his mother's signature, perhaps to win a bet that his instructor would never read it, went as follows:

"Please excuse Edward from gym class today. He has leprosy."

Second, from a chance encounter he and I had shortly after his return to UTMB as an assistant professor, after I asked him his specialty:

"Gynecology." And after a beat or two to let that information sink in, he added crisply: "Yes, I went with my first love."

Third, after Texas Monthly published my story "The Throwdown" in June 1979, adding to the Texas vernacular lexicon that compound word for a weapon planted at the scene of a [usually fatal] shooting by police to justify the false claim that the deceased had pointed a weapon at an officer or officers, Edward solemnly informed me that there was an epidemic raging in the UTMB operating rooms.

Following my inevitable question, "What is it?", he responded (deadpan as usual), "Throwdown scalpels."

If Edward were having a traditional Irish wake, at this point I'd raise my glass and salute him as follows: "Here's to him, there's none like him. More's the pity." -Tom Curtis


I wanted to add my condolences to the family of Ed. I also wanted to say that he was a wonderful consultant to me for many years. Every time I called him he made himself available to help me and my patients. He also would have some funny comment that was always different and would make me feel better about things. My favorite story about him involved a patient that I had referred to him from my practice in Port Arthur, Texas. She had far advanced ovarian cancer and he had operated on her. One night about 9pm he called me and asked me to order some lab work on her the next day. This patient lived just down the street from me in Port Arthur and he was calling me from her home after making a house call to check on her. What a guy! We will miss him so much. Will we ever see another one like him? In loving memory, Gene Jones,M.D.


I was a third year Resident, Ed had given my 2 cohort upper year residents vacation. I was running around the hospital doing Ob service, Gyn service, ER, and Clinic. I stopped by Dr Hannigan's office and asked him why he had given vacation to the other 2 residents. He looked at me(you know that guirky half smile look) and said, " well i knew you could do it". I leaned back against the wall took a deep breath and got a STAT page to L&D.

The other is Ed said when he was doing his Residentcy in the Navy, he was operating on a patient and in the middle of the operation her husband's voice began speaking to him and the OR team, they could not figure out what was going on. After the opeartion the husband told Ed he had placed a small microphone [speaker?] in his wife's vagina!

About 20 years ago I gave Ed a silk tie that had baseball game ticket stubbs as a pattern on it. He wrote me a letter in ink from his fountain pen telling me about all the games, all the players, all the historical neuonces the tickets stubbs represented. Very typical Ed and his ink fountain pen.

The last is Ed was very concerned about Roger Yandell. I told Ed that a few people in Galveston had called me about seeing Roger come out of Liquor stores. He thanked me for calling him and not Dr Anderson. Ed initiated an intervention. Prayers for Ed and love to the Family. -Betty Edwards,M.D.