Dr. Robert H. Kalinowski, 70, died peacefully at his Reston home on July 28, 2003 with his family at his side. Dr. Kalinowski had been battling Alzheimer's disease for 18 months.
Born in Hartford, Conn. on March 9, 1933 to Henry Kalinowski and Julia Vickowski, Dr. Kalinowski graduated from Hall High School in West Hartford, Conn. where he excelled in baseball, diving and academics. The Detroit Tigers scouted Kalinowski to play shortstop, but a knee injury ended his baseball career.
A 1954 graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, he received his M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. After completing an internship in medicine at Hartford Hospital, he was commissioned as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Public Health Service and stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1963, he served in the Peace Corps as the chief medical officer in Manila, Philippines. In 1965, he returned to Hartford Hospital and completed his residency in anesthesiology.
He moved to Reston in 1968 and became deputy director for the Office of Economic Opportunity, Office of Health Affairs, Washington, D.C. Dr. Kalinowski was instrumental in creating the Neighborhood Health Center program for low income people located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and assisted in the development of the food stamp and population research programs.
He was also active in the early stages of the Reston Catholic community which evolved into St. Thomas a Becket and St. John Neumann Catholic churches.
An avid golfer, Dr. Kalinowski helped form the Golf Course Island Cluster Association. Members of the Hiddencreek Country Club remember him as a "snazzy" dresser.
In 1971, he became director of the department of health services for the Association of American Medical Colleges. He also taught at Georgetown University School of Medicine, department of anesthesiology, for 10 years. From 1973-1977, he served as senior program consultant for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation where he was responsible for developing the primary care initiative for the Foundation.
In 1979, he moved back to Connecticut and spent two years at Norwalk Hospital where he was vice president for medical affairs and an assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine.
He moved to California in 1981 to become chief of anesthesiology at Chico Community Hospital. In 1986, he joined the anesthesiology staff at Enloe Hospital in Chico, including serving as chief of staff from 1996-1998.
Dr. Kalinowski is survived by his wife, Sandra Kalinowski of Chico, Calif., and by his children, Maile Kalinowski LT/USN of Reston; Ann Haefer of Easley, S.C.; Chris Kalinowski of Reston; Holly McGowan of Truckee, Calif.; and Teri Nichols of Lakeport, Calif. He is also survived by his brother, Richard Kalinowski of Topsfield, Mass. and 11 grandchildren. A marriage to Mary O'Brien ended in divorce.
A memorial dinner is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 26. Those wishing to attend should call Maile Kalinowski at 703-407-0772.