In Memoriam: Norman Marieb, MD

This obituary was prepared by his family; Silvio Inzucchi, MD; Adam Mayerson, MD; and John Wysolmerski, MD.

Norman Marieb, MD, clinical professor of medicine (endocrinology and metabolism) at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), passed away peacefully at his home in Orange, Conn., on Jan. 9. He was born on Nov. 8, 1934, in Springfield, Mass., the son of the late Frederick and Victoria (Karre) Marieb. “Norm” devoted his life to the practice of medicine. He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1959 and then completed his internship and junior residency at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. In 1961, he entered the United States Navy, serving as a lieutenant in Barstow, Calif., for two years. From 1963 to 1965, Norm conducted a two-year fellowship in metabolism at YSM, after which he completed his senior year of internal medicine residency at YSM from 1965-1966.

After settling in Orange, Conn., Norm established a highly respected private practice as an endocrinologist. He was one of the founding members of the New Haven subspecialty group known as Metabolism Associates, which was comprised of both endocrinologists and nephrologists, with privileges at both Yale New Haven Hospital and the community-focused Saint Raphael Hospital. This harkened to a day when the training for these disciplines occurred together. Emblematic of this coupled history, Norm was the first physician at Saint Raphael to perform dialysis on a patient in 1969 and the first physician in New Haven to perform thyroid biopsies.

Norm also held numerous leadership roles at both facilities, including director of metabolism, chairman of the Department of Medicine, medical director, and executive vice president and chief operating officer at Saint Raphael. Beyond his administrative skills, he was widely known as a brilliant clinician, with an encyclopedic knowledge of medical information, famously awakening hours before a busy clinic schedule to read and digest the latest journal articles. He was especially beloved as a teacher of students, residents, and fellows, and won several awards for both clinical excellence and teaching prowess.

Norm was a cornerstone of the Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism’s clinical faculty and attended pro bono on the Yale New Haven Hospital endocrine consult service for many years, helping to train dozens of Yale endocrine fellows. Following his retirement in 2013, at the age of 78, Norm continued to serve part-time as a consultant at Milford Hospital and Gaylord Hospital. Even in retirement, his passion for medicine and learning remained strong; he kept current with the medical literature and regularly attended hospital grand rounds and endocrinology conferences. Indeed, his many decades of continuous attendance at and active participation in the Friday Yale Endocrine Fellows’ Case Presentation are legendary. He will be fondly remembered and sorely missed by the Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism and by many endocrinologists around the country that he taught and mentored over his long career.

In addition to his medical career, Norm was deeply engaged in his community. He served on the boards of the Orange Health Department, the Orange Visiting Nurse Association, and the Orange Board of Education, reflecting his long-standing commitment to public service and civic life.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Anna; his children Mark Marieb, MD, and his wife, Lindsay; Julia Curran and her husband, Michael; Claudia Marieb; Thomas Marieb and his wife, Kathyrne; and Katherine Zeller and her husband, Tom. He is also survived by nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as his sisters Joyce Marieb, Holly Williams, and Valerie Kurnik, and many nieces and nephews. Norm's wish was for any contributions in his memory to be directed to the Archdiocese of Hartford.