The Southern Association for Vascular Surgery

Dear members of the SAVS, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Larry Hollier, our 18th president of the society. Too often the word extraordinary is used for the pedestrian, but we can think of no better exemplar of what is truly extraordinary than the life and career of Dr. Hollier. He completed his surgery training at LSU which included two years in the Air Force and his vascular surgery fellowship under Dr. Jesse Thompson at Baylor University in Dallas. He proved to be a global leader in our field - holding chair positions at Mayo Clinic, Ochsner Clinic, Mount Sinai, and HCI international medical center in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2003 he was named president and chief operating officer at the Mount Sinai Hospital. In January 2004, he returned home to Louisiana to become the dean of the LSU health sciences center and ultimately retired as Chancellor in 2021. Please join us in a moment of prayer and reflection on the incredible life of one of our leaders.

The SAVS is saddened by the passing of one of the giants in our region.   The contributions of Dr. Perler to the mission of the patients and families of our society cannot be overstated.   We are grateful to Dr. Perler, his family and the Johns Hopkins family for all that they have done during this extraordinary career.

It is with great sadness that we share the news that retired Army Colonel (Dr.) Norman M. Rich, Professor Emeritus and one of the founding figures of the SAVS passed away on June 18, 2026, at the age of 92. His lifetime achievements were too numerous to count. He established the Vietnam Vascular Registry, which became the model for modern military outcomes databases and trauma registries, helping physicians study injury patterns, refine treatments, and save lives on battlefields around the world. He also founded the Walter Reed Vascular Fellowship Program and was president of several major vascular societies. Among his many honors were the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Presidential Medallion presented by President Ronald Reagan, the Society for Vascular Surgery Lifetime Achievement Award, the Michael E. DeBakey Award, the René Leriche Award, the Founders Award of the American Venous Four, and ultimately was designated as an “Icon of Surgery”. As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life of extraordinary purpose and impact. Dr. Rich leaves behind a legacy measured not only in surgical innovations, academic achievements, and professional honors, but also in the countless lives saved by those he taught, the institution he helped build, and the generations of military medical professionals who continue to follow the example he set.