Dedication to Santa Maria Favaloro (1926–2022)

This issue of Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis (STH) is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Santa Maria Favaloro, who passed away on September 14, 2022, aged 95.

Although my mother had no direct affiliation with this journal, I will repeat the thoughts I expressed when my father passed away in 2016,[1] which is that life is unpredictable, and our journeys involve many events and relationships that drive our life's course that ultimately lead us to the place that we occupy within this universe. Santa was born in Italy in 1926, and had a difficult upbringing. Her life was to some extent formed by this early life, but she seemed to find happiness when she met and eventually married my father, although that had to await the end of the Second World War, which against great odds my father survived. However, life in Italy was really no easier after this catastrophic event than it had been during (or even before) the war, especially trying to raise a family.

Accordingly, following in the earlier footsteps of my father's brother (my uncle) Emanuele Favaloro, who was interestingly married to my mother's sister (my aunt) Francesca,[2] the second Favaloro family, then comprising Giuseppe, Santa Maria, and their five children (Ernesto, Carmencita, Giovanni, Bartolo, Emanuele), left their Italian homeland to start life in a new land called Australia. Here, Giuseppe anglicized his name to Joseph, and with his wife Santa Maria worked hard to raise their family, adding two more children (Antonio and Anna) to the clan along the way.

I was 2 years old at the time of the family migration in 1960, and have no memory of the trip, which took place on the ship “Flotta Lauro Sydney,” interesting given the ship's final destination was Sydney, Australia. I of course now recognize that any decision to move an entire family to a new and unfamiliar environment requires great courage. All the children also eventually anglicized their names, and all have also since raised their own families, so we can add many more names to the Favaloro linage. Indeed, many of us are now grandparents, and one is a great grandmother, so at the time of her death, Santa Maria was a bis-bis-nonna (or great great grandmother). Today, the extended family comprises the original seven children, 20 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren (so, 54 direct descendants). This is quite a legacy!

There is no doubt in my mind that I, and my brothers and sisters, would not be where we are, or doing what we are doing, or raising the families we are raising, and so forth, had it not been for the actions of my mother, and the man, my father, who so closely shared her life until his own death 6 years ago.

Santa Maria Favaloro—this issue of Seminars in Thrombosis & Hemostasis is dedicated to you. May you rest in peace.

Santa Maria Favaloro (1926–2022) and Giuseppe (Joseph) Favaloro (1922–2016).

Publication History

Article published online:
17 November 2022

• References

• 1 Favaloro EJ. Giuseppe (Joseph) Favaloro (1922-2016). Semin Thromb Hemost 2016; 42 (06) i
• 2 Favaloro EJ. Emanuele Favaloro (1920–2009) and Francesca Favaloro (1922–2009): dedication. Semin Thromb Hemost 2009; 35: 713-714