Tribute to Robert Yetman, MD

Robert was my next-door neighbor for many decades. We typically exchange greetings and small gifts during the holidays. My wife and I would leave a dozen handmade chicken tamales by his doorstep without a card. He knew it was from us and returned the gesture. I would often see him either at 5:30 am or 6am as he was leaving his garage on his way to work. He would see me walk our dogs and one day he slowed down and, without stopping, open his car window and yelled out, "I love my job." No wonder he was loved by sooooo many.

José and Magdalena Ramirez

I met Robert as I joined the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (rebranded more recently to an easy UTHealth) as a new faculty in 1991.  He was "ahead" of me though a year younger!  Eventually he became our division head for Community and General Pediatrics (now entitled General Academic Pediatrics).  My office was just down the hall from his and when I arrived early in the morning (to me) at 7:30 am he was already in an on-line meeting.  I would peek into his office to see if he could say hello but usually he was fully engaged with the conversation or was himself speaking so I would try again later before he left for rounds in the Well Baby nursery at Hermann.

He was always very supportive of our scholarly work and encouraged me to re-submit manuscripts that had been rejected.  He claimed to have the highest number of rejections before publications (honestly don't recall the number but something like 12 or was it 21!). 

When he went out of town (usually to Disneyworld), he had me stand in for him as Division head.   I was always so relieved when he returned!   Recently when he left on his cruise to Alaska then had a health issue, the email from the department showed 5 different attendings assigned to manage his workload.   He was amazingly able to cover so many responsibilities including his personal rule that he never left an email unanswered.  

My husband's 2024 flight on Crew 8 aboard a SpaceX dragon to the International Space Station caused me a lot of consternation as there was not a guaranteed launch date.  I emailed with Robert multiple times and he was always upbeat and supportive.  NET in NASA-speak is "not earlier than" but it doesn't mean it will be then!  His reply to one complicated CAN NOW WORK and CAN NO LONGER WORK. . .he quipped "For the rest of it, will “play it by ear”.   

Fly high my friend.  You are sorely missed!!

Michelle S. Barratt, MD, MPH