Dear ASHNR Family,
We are greatly saddened to share with you the news of the passing of Dr. Anton Hasso.
Dr. Hasso served as President of the ASHNR 2000-2001. His contributions to Head and Neck Radiology are numerous and significant; truly he has had a profound influence on our field, perhaps most importantly in those whom he mentored. He was a strong supporter and champion of the careers of those around him. His knowledge, experience, warm smile and collegiality will be greatly missed.
The following was shared with us by Serena Tonstad and Ella Haddad
We are sad to announce that Anton N. Hasso MD died on March 6, 2024. With his passing a world class radiologist, professor of medicine, and above all, beloved partner, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend is no longer with us.
Anton was born in Baghdad, Iraq on April 25, 1940. His birth was a much-welcomed event to his mother, Ida and father, Nasif and to his two sisters, Dola (born 1931, died 2022) and Ella (born 1936). He grew up in a family that actively engaged in travel, business enterprises, and church attendance. His mother was Swiss and trips to her birthplace and the mountain resorts of Switzerland during summers helped the family escape the intense heat in Baghdad. His father engaged in an import business with a number of companies in Europe and the US, giving Anton (nicknamed Tony) exposure to many parts of the world. Another sister followed, Serena (born 1950) but soon after Tony joined his two older sisters in Beirut, Lebanon, site of Middle East University, a Seventh-day Adventist educational institution. At the tender age of 17, he left the Middle East to continue his education in the United States.
Rather than choosing a career in business or photography, upon completing a bachelor’s degree at La Sierra University in Riverside, California he decided on medicine, and graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 1967. He established a family early with Susan Weatherly first in Loma Linda then in Glendale, California. His son Stephen was born in 1963 and Martin was born in 1966.
In 1971 he completed a residency in radiology at the White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles. He went on to complete a fellowship in Diagnostic and Cardiovascular Radiology at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in 1972 and a following fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles, National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, Neuroradiology. In 1973, he served a postdoctoral fellowship in orbital and ear-nose-throat radiology at the Foundation A. De Rothschild in Paris, France.
In 1971 Tony and Peggy Fritzsche, were married, and soon moved to Redlands, California until her untimely passing away in 2009. Dr Fritzsche, an outstanding uroradiologist, also a professor at Loma Linda and Tony attended countless meetings and conferences together, enriching each other’s lives and careers. Among their favorite activities together were skiing, and his sons’ fondest memories are of trips to Mammoth Lakes California and long days on the slopes. He remained a great fan of sports throughout his life, including the Dodgers.
In 1984 he joined his alma mater, Loma Linda University School of Medicine where he served as Director of Neuroradiology and held the titles of Professor of Radiology and Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck surgery. In 1996, Tony left Loma Linda and became an integral part of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) family when he took the helm as the Chair of Radiological Sciences. His legacy at UCI is one of philanthropy, leadership, and profound influence on the growth of the radiological sciences department. Dr. Hasso was not only a distinguished professional but also a cherished mentor and educator, training well over 100 residents directly and inspiring new generations of neuroradiologists.
Throughout his illustrious career, Dr Hasso held numerous esteemed leadership positions. Including serving as president of the American Roentgen Ray Society, American Society of Neuroradiology, the American Society of Head and Neck Imaging, and the Western Neuroradiological Society. He was a founding member of the World Federation of Neuroradiological Societies, and its inaugural treasurer. Additionally, he contributed significantly to the American College of Radiology, American Medical Association, and Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). He recently reminisced that with 2 or 3 exceptions he attended every annual meeting of the society from the 1970s until the present. On a more local level he was a leader in several California organizations including serving as president of the California Radiological Society and of the Loma Linda University Alumni Association (2017-18) and was awarded the alumni’s 2023 Iner Sheld-Ritchie Presidential Award.
Tony was an expert on clinical imaging of the brain, the temporal bone and the spine, and applications of CT and MR imaging in disorders of the head and neck. He gave superb lectures on these topics at national and international courses, seminars, and scientific society meetings. He was the author or coauthor of many books and articles in scientific journals as well as chapters to textbooks. One of his latest publications appeared in 2023 and was entitled “Internal Carotid Artery Pseudoaneurysm causing an abducens nerve palsy: a case report“, illustrating his continued interest in unusual cases of the head and neck.
Throughout his teaching career Dr Hasso was much loved by students and highly respected by fellow faculty. He received numerous rewards for his outstanding scientific achievements as well as his teaching accomplishments. In 2017 he was awarded Alumnus of the Year, by the Loma Linda University School of Medicine Alumni Association.
Tony loved his work and never wanted to retire. As the time approached when retirement would be the expected course, he donated time, efforts and his expertise to the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation where he formed new ties and relationships, assisting with the diagnostic and treatment challenges of these conditions that are often particularly traumatic in childhood.
At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, he and his partner Jean Tonn moved to Oceanside, California. The two lovingly supported each other through Covid and more recently traveled together to Egypt, Switzerland and Italy among other places. And Tony was happy to continue to review radiological images from home for UCI. Their home was located close to Martin and his family, and Tony was proud of his grandson Leo, as his face would light up as he talked of things they did together. Skiing remained a major passion to the end, and he often joined Stephen on the slopes, mostly recently a memorable trip in December at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. We are immensely thankful for who he was and his contribution to medical science and practice.
Watch a video interview with Dr. Hasso here.