A. John Anlyan, M.D. ’45, died on April 1 in San Rafael, Calif. He was 94.
Born on January 4, 1921, in Alexandria, Egypt, son of Armand and Emmy Anlyan, John emigrated from Egypt to the United States in 1939 and attended Yale University as both an undergraduate and medical student. Following medical school, John completed a surgical internship and residency at the University of Chicago Clinics, then spent two years at Ohio State as a resident in thoracic surgery and graduate student in enzyme chemistry. John met his beloved wife, Betty, while at Ohio State.
John returned to Yale as an instructor for two years and then spent three years as a Damon Runyon fellow at the Sloan-Kettering Institute and Memorial Hospital.
In 1957, John completed his clinical training and the young couple moved to San Francisco. He was a medical officer in the U.S. Navy and launched what was to be a long and successful San Francisco-based surgical practice, specializing in the treatment of cancer. Over the years, John and Betty invested in California real estate. With the return from those investments, the couple bequeathed $50 million to Yale School of Medicine for the 457,000-square-foot Anlyan Center for Medical Research and Education, which opened in 2003.
A brilliant and complex man, John was well-known for being a colorful raconteur of tales and jokes, with a sharp wit and a tremendous love for his wife, his family, and Yale. John was a proud member of the Olympic Club in San Francisco for over 50 years. His larger-than-life personality will be missed by all.