In Memoriam - Dr. F. David Rollo, 1935-2022, Chair of the USAIHC Board of Directors
Bloomington, IN - October 23, 2022
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Dr. F. David Rollo, Chair of the Board of Directors of the USA International Harp Competition. Dr. Rollo passed away in San Jose, California, on October 21, 2022, after a brief illness. Our sincere condolences go to his wife, Linda Wood Rollo (Vice-President and Associate Artistic Director) and son Alex and daughter-in-law Rosa.
Dr. Rollo joined the USAIHC Board of Directors in 1990 and became President in 1993, and then Chair in 2021. He was a guiding light and dedicated leader, supporting the USAIHC in many ways through eleven successful competitions. He was an inspiration to all of us and will be greatly missed by the USAIHC and the many friends he made in the harp world.
Obituary
F. David Rollo, M.D. PhD. (April 15, 1935 - October 21, 2022 ) Frank David Rollo was born and raised in Johnson City, New York. He received a baseball scholarship to Harpur College of Arts and Science in Binghamton, New York, followed by a Fellowship in Nuclear Physics at the University of Miami taught by Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. At the suggestion of Dr. Oppenheimer, David applied and was accepted to the John Hopkins PhD program in 1965. He was then sent by his thesis advisor, Dr. John McAfee to Upstate Medical School in Syracuse, New York, where he earned his M.D. and continued research in Nuclear Medicine.
Upon graduation he was accepted at UC San Francisco where he taught and published articles on Nuclear Medicine Physics, Instrumentation and Agents. After five years at UCSF, he was offered a position as Dean of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. From there, he was recruited by Humana Hospitals as Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer.
In 1996, Dr. Rollo joined Philips Medical Systems as their International Chief Medical Officer where he was responsible for research, development, and quality of medical equipment developed and sold by Philips. In 2006, he was recruited by CellPoint, Inc., in San Mateo, California, to serve as President and Chief Technology Officer. In collaboration with MD Anderson, he developed the first molecular imaging agent that could be used for diagnosing, staging and treating all cancer types as well as early diagnosis for heart attacks.
He was a co-author of four books: Nuclear medicine physics, instrumentation, and agents (1977); Digital Radiography: A Focus on Clinical Utility (1982); Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (1983); and Digital Nuclear Medicine (1983).
David Rollo is survived by his wife, Linda Rollo, son, Dr. Alex Rollo (Rosa), and his sister, Annette Sarnoski. David will be remembered as an extremely loving and devoted father and husband as well as for his brilliant scientific mind. He had a special talent for supporting and encouraging others in their fields, and he especially loved music, dance and fine art. He served as President and Chairman of the Board of the USA International Harp Competition from 1993 to 2022.
