UB mourns the passing of Dr. Edmond J. Gicewicz

BUFFALO, NY — The University at Buffalo lost one of its most loyal supporters on Wednesday with the passing of Dr. Edmond J. Gicewicz. He was 89.

Affectionately known as “Doc,” Gicewicz was a three-sport athlete at UB, was a 16-year member of the UB Council, was past president of the UB Alumni Association, and served as the football team physician for nearly three decades.

With his wife, Connie, Gicewicz was a constant supportive presence at UB Stadium and Alumni Arena cheering on the Bulls’ athletics teams. He and his family were generous donors to UB Athletics.

“Whether he was making winning plays on the field, taking excellent care of our student-athletes on the sidelines or cheering them on from the stands, Doc epitomized UB Bulls pride and spirit,” said President Satish K. Tripathi.

“Along with being one of the most devoted friends our university has ever known, he was the model of professional accomplishment, public service and civic engagement. His legacy at UB, spanning more than six decades, has profoundly enriched the lives of our faculty, staff, students and alumni, and the impact he has had on our university — from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to our athletics program and well beyond — will be felt for years to come.

“On behalf of our entire UB community, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Connie, their five children and their entire family. We will miss Doc dearly.”

A 1952 graduate of UB and a resident of Amherst, Gicewicz was a standout football, basketball and baseball player for the Bulls. He was a two-year team captain for the football team and, in 1951, was named a Little All-American. He went on to earn a medical degree from UB in 1956 and served as the football team physician for 27 years. He was elected to the UB Athletics Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

“The entire UB community is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Gicewicz,” Interim Athletic Director Kathy Twist said. "Doc was an avid fan and steadfast supporter of UB Athletics. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on in our work and future success in UB Athletics.”

Among his many leadership roles at UB, Gicewicz was president of the UB Medical Alumni Association and founder and first medical director of the University Sports Medicine Institute, which continues to thrive today.

He held appointments as an assistant professor of clinical surgery and an assistant professor of clinical orthopaedics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was honored by his alma mater with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1977, the prestigious Samuel P. Capen Chancellor’s Award in 1978 and the UB President’s Medal in 2013.

The Gicewicz family has remained generous supporters of the Bulls’ athletic programs. In 2007, the UB Athletics Hall of Fame was renamed the Dr. and Mrs. Edmond J. Gicewicz Family UB Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2015, the new state-of-the-art club seating section at UB Stadium was named the Edmond J. Gicewicz Club.

In addition to his wife, Gicewicz is survived by their five children, Suzanne, Julie, Alicia, E. Richard and Gregory, and 11 grandchildren.