Page 3 - Castle MD Spring 2020

“nurse’s doctor” because of his healing skills and warm bedside manner. His patients loved him, and he treated them with love and compassion.
Dr. Noguchi was respectful of everyone. He was devoted to his work and would come in any time: day, night or holiday,
whether he was on call or not, to serve his patients. For him, it was always about taking care of patients and having a good time doing it.
But his special gift, I think, was his spirit, wonderful smile and unique ability to bring joy and happiness to the faces of everyone
he met. Every person who met him had a Noguchi story to tell – a colleague, nurse, patient, hospital staff, grocery store clerk, parking lot attendant – because he had that extraordinary ability to talk to anyone, make them laugh and brighten not just their day but sometimes their entire life. Few people have the gift to touch the lives of other people from all walks of life. We were blessed to have had Dr. Hiroji Noguchi as part of our Castle `ohana.
Even when confronted with liver cancer
in August 2014, Dr. Noguchi continued
to work and serve his patients. He would get chemotherapy and still see patients in the office and perform surgeries. But by May 2016, he became weaker and weaker and finally grew too tired to work. He and his family sold their house in Olomana
and moved to Mississippi so Vickie
could be closer to her family. They were anticipating the worst. It was a miracle that he received a liver transplant on June 29, 2016 at UCLA. It was a success. After the transplant, he settled in Columbus, Mississippi and worked as a surgeon there. He told a local newspaper in 2017, “I feel fortunate to have another chance. I have so much to give back.” He worked until his cancer recurred 3 years and 3 months after his transplant, and passed away on Friday, October 4, 2019.
Dr. Hiroji Noguchi dedicated his life to
the service of others. It is fitting that as
a small measure of our gratitude, we are dedicating this pavilion in his honor. A pavilion, by definition, is a structure used
as a shelter in a garden. For those of us living today and others to come, may we use this pavilion – this shelter – to rest, to reflect and to restore ourselves so we too can be of service to others, and be inspired by our friend and colleague, Dr. Hiroji Noguchi. May we dedicate ourselves to his unfinished work, with our precious lives and this opportunity, so we too can give back to others with love and compassion. And may we rededicate ourselves to the ideals of caring for our community and sharing our love with a warm smile, with joy and with a sense of humor.
Alan Cheung, MD, MBA, FACS
Medical Officer
SPRING ‘20 · 3