My loving son, Mitchell, a pediatrician, died suddenly in his sleep on Thursday, October 21, 2021 in Sharon, Massachusetts. He was born on July 22, 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to me, his mom, and his dad, the late Dr. Samuel Pozner. He will be dearly missed by his family, his friends, his colleagues and many friends throughout the Boston area, and his friends from the University of Arizona Medical School.
Mitch always said that the dash between his or her birth and death is most significant; it represents what a person accomplished in his or her life. What Mitchell accomplished in his brief life is too lengthy to elaborate here — his love of family and his dedication to patients who he treated as if they were his own.
I called him the “Mitzvah-Man,” because he was always doing good deeds and caring for others as if they were family. As a pediatrician, he was dedicated to every aspect of his patients’ families and lives, not only their kids. He played Santa Claus for 28 years at Tufts Children’s Hospital, getting up at 5:00am dressed up and going with Molly and Max. With a “ho, ho, ho” and a big smile, he walked down the hall with a big bag of toys, visiting every child in the hospital. He even put a bubble machine in his office to calm down crying babies and toddlers. He taught himself magic tricks to entertain his kids, discussed complex cases with his dad, and inspired and taught young med students and interns not only about pediatrics and medicine but also the importance of caring and respect for the patient, and taking time to LISTEN.
Mitch, like his dad, listened to his patients. As the great Sir William Osler said “Listen to the patient; he is telling you his diagnosis… The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” Mitch epitomized these very qualities.
With a broad smile and always a camera in his hand, he called his mom every day and was a light for everyone he met. He is survived by his wife, Michelle, his children, Molly and Max, and his mother- and father-in-law, Sahra and Stu (Stuart) Radonsky. Mitch leaves behind his sister Lisa, his brother Chaim (Yanny), sister Yoni (Brian), his aunts Sylvia, Marcia (Bruce), and his many nieces and nephews who loved his funny and caring ways. Mitch also leaves behind his sister-in-law Leah (Baruch) and his brother-in-law Joshua (Rivkah). Lastly, Mitch leaves behind his dog, Sadie.
Mitch will be forever missed and always remembered in our daily lives. May his precious memory be a Blessing. “Zichrono Livracha.” May his Neshuma (soul) have an Aliyah (go up to Heaven). Our special thanks to all the support throughout the years to Rabbi Chaim Wolosow of The Chabad of Sharon.
Expressions of sympathy memory of Dr. Pozner may be donated to Tufts Children’s Hospital, Development Office, 800 Washington Street, #231, Boston, MA 02111 or online at https://giving.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/give.
