October 23 1934 April 13 2020 (age 85)
Obituary WEST CHESTER, PA – Rosemary Panich Yancik, born October 23, 1934 in Joliet, Illinois, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2020 at Sunrise Assisted Living of Westtown, PA. Rosemary, the daughter of John Panich (deceased) and Mary Burian Panich (deceased) of Joliet, Illinois, is survived by her husband of 64 years Joseph John Yancik, and her daughters, Geri Anne Yancik McCafferty (Stan Weil) and Ellen Marie Yancik (Michael Duffy) Finnerty. Rosemary is also survived by her grandchildren, Erin Shea Finnerty, Ryan Joseph Finnerty, Casey Katherine Rose Finnerty and Grace Marie McCafferty. Rosemary is also survived by her brother Richard Michael (Paulette) Panish, M.D. Following her graduation and attainment of a Ph.D. in Medical Sociology from St. Louis University, Rosemary lived in Fairfax and McLean, Virginia. Doctoral level students are required to enroll in rigorous graduate courses, pass challenging comprehensive examinations and prepare a dissertation focusing on original research before earning a Ph.D. Rosemary was more than up to the challenge. Rosemary had a long and successful career with the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She worked for both the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute. While at the latter, she organized meetings of experts interested in research into how the elderly might benefit in the areas of prevention, early detection and treatment. Out of those meetings came the first of two books addressing these topics titled Perspectives on Prevention and Treatment of Cancer in the Elderly. At a time when epidemiologists recognized the increased incidence of cancer in the elderly and clinicians appreciated more morbidity and mortality with treatment of the elderly, there was little support for systematic research into the cause of these problems. Clinical trials often precluded admission of elderly patients and studies addressing just the elderly were non-existent in the United States 50 years ago. Among her personal research contributions, was the sentinel observation that there was a direct correlation of age and stage of disease for ovarian cancer. She was a tenacious quantitative investigator but her real talent was in scientific administration. She identified both the interested neophytes and the experienced experts to foster an exchange of ideas in geriatric cancer research. This stimulated new programmatic interest from major cancer and geriatric organizations. While at the NCI, Rosemary was the major organizer for a consensus conference addressing the topic, wrote and secured approval and funding for research focused on cancer and the elderly. Rosemary was a dedicated scientific professional and a recognized champion of geriatric cancer research. In addition to a fulfilling career as a sociologist, Rosemary had an active personal life. She was a life-long devotee of all things Italian. She taught herself to be fluent in the Italian language, a skill that she employed extensively in both her professional and personal life. She and her husband, Joseph, traveled many times to Italy for work and pleasure. She also practiced yoga from an early age and loved to dance, two activities that kept her younger than her years. She was also a wonderful cook who enjoyed making family dinners and trying new recipes, especially Italian recipes, including making homemade pasta. An invitation to Rosemary’s home for dinner was a frequent treat for both family and friends. A celebratory dinner will be held for immediate family and close friends in the near future as state regulations allow. The family requests that donations be made in lieu of flowers to either the American Cancer Society at donate3.cancer.org or the Cat Angel Network of Pottstown, PA at catangel.org.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Rosemary Panich Yancik PhD October 23 1934 April 13 2020 (age 85).
Death notice for the town of: Havertown, state: Pennsylvania