Joseph Smith Mcguire Jr.

April 19, 1931 - Oct. 4, 2019 Stanford, CA

“From the coal mines of Logan, WV to the halls of Yale Medical School, Joe Jr. accomplished many things”

Dr. Joseph Smith Mcguire Jr. passed away peacefully in his sleep on Oct 4th, 2019, in New York City. He was surrounded by his family whom he loved. Dr. Mcguire was born on April 19, 1931 In Logan, West Virginia. He was the son of Ruby Kellogg Rose and Joseph Smith Mcguire Sr.

Dr. Mcguire graduated from West Virginia University in just three years, and attended The Yale School of Medicine, from which he graduated in 1955. He pursued his residency in dermatology at Yale and eventually joined the faculty there as Professor of Pediatric Dermatology. His research concentrated on the biology of skin cells in blistering diseases and he served as the President of the Society of Investigative Dermatology in 1986. In addition to his involvement in numerous medical societies, Dr. Mcguire was a proud Commodore of the Yale Yacht Club. In 1989 he was recruited by Stanford University School of Medicine to join the faculty as the Carl J. Herzog Professor of Dermatology.

He is lovingly remembered as an educator, professor, artist, poet, and above all a loving and supportive father and confidant. His sense of humor was undeniably brilliant and he was making us laugh until the end. He enjoyed sailing, reading, language, and was in constant pursuit of knowledge. His children will miss his clever wit, hiking to the Stanford Dish, and his uniquely prepared home cooked meals that often involved culinary experiments. He is survived by his sister, Jane, and his children, Beth, Joseph, Alison, Thompson, Joshua Lake, Lindsay, and Scott Hunter Mcguire. Also by his grandchildren Henry, Ethan, Casey, Sean, Bing, Emma Lake, Catherine, and Grace.

In addition to his success as a father and universal hobbyist, he was an outstanding pediatric dermatologist, dedicated to his patients and to his research. He is fondly remembered by his colleague, Dr. Eugene Bauer, former Chair of Dermatology and Dean of Stanford Medical School as “a wonderfully benign iconoclast… ultimately driven to truth and compassion for those whom he encountered.”