Dr. Timothy N. Caris, age 92, died November 9, 2015, in San Antonio. He was born in Akron, Ohio, on November 1, 1923.
Dr. Caris had a passion for medicine and teaching, and over a long medical career he touched the lives of many. In 1942, he attended Ohio State University where he enlisted in the Army and was accepted into the Army Specialized Training Program – an elite college program designed to train professionals for the war effort. This demanding accelerated program propelled Dr. Caris through his undergraduate and medical education in only five years. World War II ended in 1945 and he was released from the Army.
In 1951, Tim was recalled into military service as part of a national effort to bolster forces for the Korean conflict. He accepted a regular commission as an officer in the United States Air Force, and began a distinguished military career that would span two decades. During his last 10 years in the military, Dr. Caris rose through the ranks to become one of the Air Force's top cardiologists. With the goal of keeping pilots and their crews healthy and able to fly, he worked on developing methods for detecting silent heart disease early and for treating hypertension without medication.
Dr. Caris retired from the Air Force in 1970 (at the rank of Colonel) and joined the Department of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. In addition to his role as teacher and clinician, he played a key role in administration and continuing medical education. When he retired in 1986, he was Professor of Medicine and Acting Dean of the medical school. He authored four books on hypertension and as Professor Emeritus he continued teaching, lecturing and writing for some years.
Dr. Caris will forever be remembered as a loving, devoted husband, father, father-in-law, uncle, mentor and friend.
If you would like to make a gift by check, please mail it to Patrick O’Hara, Office of Institutional Advancement, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive MC 7835, San Antonio, TX 78229. Please make all checks payable to UT Health San Antonio and include “Caris Memorial" on the memo line.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Steven Reese, School of Medicine Director of Development and Alumni Relations, at (210) 567-2598.