Rockland Mourns the Death of Dr. Martha 'Bobby' MacGuffie

Dr. Martha “Bobby” MacGuffie of New City passed away on Monday, March 7, leaving a legacy of accomplishments that stretch across the globe. In the minds of many people, the 87-year-old epitomized the belief that one person can make a difference.

She was widely recognized as a humanitarian and activist and well respected as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Pamela Hudson, one of MacGuffie’s five daughters said, “She was a ‘oner.’ Her accomplishments are so difficult to even count. She left a phenomenal legacy.”

Dr. MacGuffie was born on Jan. 22, 1924, and died in her sleep early Monday morning at Nyack Hospital, where she had been admitted with a stomach virus a few days earlier. She had been ill for several months and was being cared for by Hudson and her husband. 

Dr. MacGuffie did not believe in barriers.

In 1945, when few women attended medical school, she applied to and was accepted at five. She was the first woman surgeon to graduate from Columbia Medical School. The mother of eight children, she directed her grief over the deaths of her two youngest sons, Reid and Rob, to helping Kenyan children affected by the AIDS epidemic, the disease that killed her sons.

Her first trip to Kenya, Africa gave her a mission. She founded SHARE in 1987 to bring help and hope to Kenyan children living in extreme poverty. MacGuffie and Dr. Renée M. Brilliant, a pediatric hematologist, based SHARE in New City with an affiliate in Kisumu, Kenya. Over the course of more than 20 years, Dr. MacGuffie left her private practice in Rockland County on a regular basis to travel back and forth to Kenya.

SHARE posted a tribute to the president emeritus of the board of directors on its web site. “The SHARE team is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved and cherished founder, Dr. Martha “Bobby” MacGuffie. She was the greatest humanitarian that each one of us has had the privilege and good fortune of working with.

Bobby inspired everyone to seize the opportunity to turn any adversity that life presented into something positive and impactful. She took her own ultimate tragedy – the sudden deaths of her young sons to a rare disease – and turned it into S.H.A.R.E, the non-profit organization she founded so that she could make a life-changing difference to thousands of African families devastated by AIDS.

For us at S.H.A.R.E., she was more than a founder. She was a mentor, a visionary, an intellectual and a friend who provided a constant source of inspiration and motivation. The world has lost a special person, and is sadder for it, but the heavens are congratulating her for a life of extraordinary achievements. As Bobby herself would say with a twinkle in her eye – not bad!”

SHARE stands for the “Society for Hospital and Resources Exchange.” It is a not-for-profit organization consisting of doctors, nurses, paramedics, business, and lay people who volunteer their time to work together toward a common goal to help children and communities in Kenya, Africa.

Dr. MacGuffie left a positive impact on the lives of many county residents. In December 2010, she was inducted into the Rockland County Civil Rights Hall of Fame for her accomplishments.

“I greatly admired her,” said Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef who met her more than 10 years ago. “I really consider her one of the true heroes living in Rockland County for her humanitarian work,” he said. “She opened our consciousness to the world around us and how a single person can make an enormous difference.”

She started the burn unit at Nyack Hospital. She was affiliated with the hospital for 55 years as a reconstructive surgeon. Dr. MacGuffie retired from her private practice in 2008 at the age of 84.

While recovering from an accident, Lynn Cluess Manzione decided to work on a book about inspiring women. She met Dr. MacGuffie and said the experience changed her. Together they wrote a biography of the doctor’s life, “A Wondrous Journey: A small book with big lessons.” It was published in July 2010.

“She was a one of a kind individual and was loved by many and will be missed by many,” said Manzione. “I’m really lucky and blessed to have had her in my life.”

"I knew Dr. MacGuffie for many, many years," said Clarkstown Town Supervisor Alex Gromack of Congers. "She was a person who had a caring heart for others. She gave of herself and her practice to help the lives of others. In many ways she was our Florence Nightingale."

“Dr. MacGuffie was a great lady who did extraordinary things,” said Clarkstown Councilman George Hoehmann of Nanuet. “Like many longtime Rocklanders, Dr. MacGuffie stitched me up as a kid. I came to know her a bit through Rotary as an adult. Mainly she was an inspiration to all of us--a giant of a human being who did more good that could not be equaled by most in two lifetimes. Clarkstown and the world is a sadder place for her loss. Her mission thankfully continues through SHARE helping families afflicted by poverty and AIDS in Africa.”

Hoehmann plans to ask Gromack to observe a moment of silence at the next town meeting for Dr. MacGuffie.

Hannemann Funeral at 88 S. Broadway, Nyack, will hold viewing hours on Friday, March 18 from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm. A celebration of Dr. MacGuffie’s life is scheduled for Saturday, March 19 at 11 am at Grace Episcopal Church, 130 1st Avenue, Nyack. Burial arrangements have not been determined. A private reception will be held for family and friends following the church service.