Roger David Soloway, a former professor in the department of internal medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine, died on January 29. He was 87.

Born in Philadelphia, Dr. Soloway graduated from Valley Stream Central High School in New York State, where he ran on the cross-country team and played in the band. He then attended Cornell University, where he received an undergraduate degree in 1957 and a medical degree in 1961. While at Cornell, Dr. Soloway played in the marching band and participated in the ROTC. After completing his internship and first year residency at the Columbia division of Bellevue Hospital, Dr. Soloway and his wife, Marilyn, moved to Paris, France, where Dr. Soloway served as Commander of a dispensary in the U.S. Army and, as the medical officer, accompanied top American and NATO officers to secret locations in the event of a military alert. After returning to the U.S., Dr. Soloway completed his medical residency at Bellevue Hospital, a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Pennsylvania, and a fellowship in hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

In 1971, after completing his fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Soloway joined Penn’s School of Medicine faculty as an assistant professor of medicine. At Penn, Dr. Soloway treated patients, conducted research, and held many academic and administrative positions. His research on gallstones, hepatitis, and the liver was published in prestigious American and international journals and has long been extensively cited by colleagues. He was promoted to associate professor in 1976 and to a full professor six years later. From 1986 to 1987, he chaired the Faculty Senate, but vacated the past chair position after accepting a position at the University of Texas at Galveston in 1987. At Galveston, he served as the Marie P. Gale Centennial Professor and chair of gastroenterology and hepatology, as well as acting chair of medicine for two years. Dr. Soloway’s work at Galveston garnered him several prestigious honors. He was an elected member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and the American Gastroenterological Association, and he received the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award from the University of Texas at Galveston.

Dr. Soloway loved music in all its forms. He sang and played several instruments in choruses, barbershop quartets, and jazz and classical ensembles. He was a devout supporter of the Galveston Symphony Orchestra and Congregation B’nai Israel, and enjoyed photography and gardening.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his sons, Andrew, David, and Russell; their wives, Erica, Lyn, and Shara; his grandchildren, Aryeh, Ethan, Dinah, and Eva Renee; his sisters, Linda Martinez, and Martha Zarkowsky (Bruce); his brother, Michael; his brother-in-law, Gary Fields (Rachelle); and numerous nieces and nephews. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Dr. Roger D. and Marilyn L. Soloway Endowment in Hepatology, University of Texas Medical Branch Development Services, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, Texas 74555, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.