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"Notice: this article appears on the PPSG website with the express permission of the copyright holder, who should be consulted for further permission to reproduce." |
Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Science Inc. from In Memoriam, Robert T. Angarola,
by David Joranson, Journal
of Pain & Symptom Management, Volume 12(2): 63-64. Copyright 1996 by the U.S.
Cancer Pain Relief Committee.
Robert Angarola died suddenly from bacterial pneumonia while he was in Geneva. He was
there for what had become his mission--dealing with drug policy issues that had the
potential to interfere with professional practice and patient care. Those who knew Bob and
his work are struggling to comprehend and adjust to the great void created by the sudden
loss of such a dear colleague and friend. Pain patients and health professionals in the
United States and around the world have lost a great advocate and defender.
Bob's professional accomplishments have been extraordinary. Many of these have been
recognized by the American Pain Society, to which Bob devoted a great deal of professional
time and personal energy. The APS tribute appears on the previous page. Here, I contribute
my perspective on who Bob was and what he stood for, so that we might carry on his work
and his spirit.
I met Bob in 1978, about a year after he became general counsel to the White House Office
of Drug Abuse Policy (ODAP). I had invited the ODAP to participate in a national substance
abuse meeting about diversion of controlled drugs. It was immediately clear that Bob
really cared about the impact of policy on people. He was dedicated to stopping drug
diversion but without interfering in patient care. Over the years, Bob reminded me and
many others about the need to have a "balanced" drug policy.
Many in the pain field know Bob from his writings. In an era of word processing, he
actually wrote papers--one indication of the hands-on kind of a person Bob was. His
articles for this journal were lucid and forceful treatments of complex policy material.
He would always look for short sentences, active voice, and plain English. His most recent
comment in the margin of an article I was preparing was "This is pretty dense--could
you give brief examples or prepare a chart?" Words to live by.
It may have been Bob's White House liaison duties to the Interagency Committee on New
Therapies for Pain that piqued his awareness of the plight of the patient in pain.
Thereafter, Bob worked with government, professional associations, and pharmaceutical
companies to balance the war on drugs with the needs of patients. Bob played a critically
important role in convincing federal and state policy makers to avoid unduly restrictive
drug control laws, and also to take effective action against diversion. Bob kept the State
Cancer Pain Initiatives informed about national developments and guided their energies
into practical reform of policies affecting pain management.
Bob believed in results. You could not leave a meeting or telephone conversation without a
discussion of "next steps." He was a master at focusing time and energy on
concrete actions that would bring us closer to our goals.
I will forever be grateful to Bob for encouraging me to leave government and come to the
University of Wisconsin to work on pain and policy issues. Over the years I knew Bob, I
saw him encourage many people from diverse groups, including lawyers, nurses, physicians,
pharmacists, and social workers, to work together, and to speak and write about the
effects of regulation on patient care. A friend and former White House associate of Bob's
observed that his funeral brought many people together once again, including four U.S.
drug "czars."
Bob also made the time to be with his family and friends. He was a special person: a big
thinker and world expert in complex policy matters, but also accessible, uncomplicated,
and unassuming. In short, Bob was a "prince" of a person, and was so called by
his grammar school friends in Jackson Heights.
Bob's efforts to bring groups together during the 1980s actually brought him together with
another extraordinary person, Jane Lee, resulting in their marriage and three wonderful
children, Anne, James, and John. Their loss is so much greater than ours.
How can we show Jane and the children how much Bob meant to us? Many efforts are emerging.
Resolutions from the American Cancer Society and the State Cancer Pain Initiatives are
under discussion. An award in Bob's name has been announced by the Southern California
Cancer Pain Initiative. This journal and others are publishing memorials. Individuals are
being encouraged to send their thoughts, memories, and anecdotes to Eleanor Holmes
Williams, 1926 North Hartford Street, Arlington, VA 22201 (703/2740597); she will compile
them to give to Jane, Anne, James, and John.
Bob's friends in New York have established a scholarship fund for the children. Checks may
be made payable to Tucker Anthony Incorporated and sent to Gregg P. McGee at Tucker
Anthony, Inc., One World Financial Center, 200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281. Checks
should be accompanied by a letter that designates the amount for each child.
I am but one of many, many people who knew Bob and worked with him during his years in
government and in the pain field. We have great admiration for his work, but above all we
will treasure his dear friendship. I remember Bob at meetings. When there was someone in
the group he hadn't met, he would offer his hand and say "Hi, I'm Bob Angarola."
We loved you Bob, we know that you loved us, and we miss you terribly.
David E. Joranson