In Memoriam: Eulogizing 2 of Milwaukee’s Finest

Ivan Kmit/AdobeStock

PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

Whether I know them or not, it is pretty easy and inspiring to eulogize well-known national psychiatrists because there is so much known about their careers. But the backbone of psychiatry is really the local psychiatrists who do the community’s clinical work and education. Sometimes, these local psychiatrists become well-known and beloved in their communities. Such are 2 of my hometown Milwaukee’s finest psychiatrists who passed away in recent months. Information, besides my own knowledge of them, comes from the usual public obituaries.

Ikar J. Kalogiera, MD: A Master Educator and Clinician

Ikar, who I knew fairly well, was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1945 and passed away on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023, perhaps a serendipitous connection to being a devout Catholic.

He came to the United States in 1972 to complete his psychiatry residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In 1981, he opened a private practice, which he continued for 40 years. At his Memorial Tribute Wall, perhaps a patient best covered the quality of his care:

“Dr. Kalogiera was my psychiatrist for around 20 years and felt like a second father to me. During our initial session, when he validated and normalized my feelings and struggles, I experienced a hope that had eluded me for many ears. His professional compassion, kindness, and optimism was an invaluable gift. I am so grateful for his loving kindness and insight.”

He was also known as a master educator at my workplace, the Medical College of Wisconsin, even though he was not a full-time faculty member. That was reflected in his numerous local awards. Nationally, his teaching was recognized by receiving the American Psychiatric Association’s Irma Bland Award.

His reported “happy place” besides work was with his family on a boat. Though he sailed away from life, his legacy continues to buoy us up.

Lucille Barash Glicklich Rosenberg, MD:

When I came to Milwaukee in 1989, it was quickly obvious that Lucy was a most valued and welcoming child & adolescent psychiatrist in the community. To confirm that, she received the Distinguished Service Lifetime Achievement Award by the Wisconsin Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2009. She was also the first woman to serve as president of the Medical Society of Milwaukee County.

During her term as President of the Wisconsin Psychiatric Association District Branch, she asked me if I wanted to run for the office of President in the next election. Because I would run against a friend, I declined and she readily and graciously understood, apologizing for not realizing that. Given her local presidency, it seems fitting that that this column comes right before our annual national American Psychiatric Association meeting.

She was proud of her Jewish heritage and always tried to fulfill Tikkun Olam, to try to make the world a better place. She grew up in a small town, knowing what it meant to be different. Late in life, she and her last husband, Jack Rosenberg, created a trust fund. While I was President of the Board of the Grand Avenue Clubhouse in town for those with chronic mental illness, Jack essentially funded the purchase of a building to harbor it in the middle of downtown, where it remains a couple of decades later.

About a decade ago, Lucy developed Alzheimer disease dementia. While she was becoming more forgetful, colleagues, friends, and family never forgot her.

Lucy died at the age of 98 on April 14, 2024.

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.