Joseph Marotta, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and devoted Catholic-Franciscan missionary, died suddenly on February 8, 2016 at the age of 57. Dr. Marotta, a graduate of Siena College, was also the school’s former team physician.
Joseph Marotta was the beloved husband of 25 years to Kate Adams Marotta, cherished father of Joseph John Marotta, Jr. and Anna Rose Marotta; brother of John Marotta (Regina) and Terri Zimmardi (Anthony); he is survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Dr. Marotta’s funeral mass was held on February 13, 2016 at St. Pius X Church in Loudonville, New York.
Close to Dr. Marotta’s heart was the charity he helped found, Medicus Christi (MC), an organization that provides medical care and training in Africa. Dr. Marotta referred to this work as “his calling.” The charity had been blessed by Pope Benedict XVI and recently received a grant from Pope Francis.
On his Facebook page, the doctor said, “My greatest ambition is to serve our brothers and sisters overseas.”
“Unlike most medical ‘mission’ projects that travel overseas to perform a service and then come home, leaving no lasting presence behind, MC intends to go the next step, ” Dr. Marotta said on LinkedIn. “We have established an Orthopedic hospital and teaching facility in an underserved region (Ghana with 24 million people has only 12 trained Orthopedic Surgeons!).
Dr. Marotta graduated from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and then later did a residency in several Boston hospitals. After moving to the Albany, New York, area in 1990, Dr. Marotta began an orthopedic practice in Troy. He was also the president of the medical staff at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, where he served as the chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery since 1998. He chaired the Department of Surgery there from 2006 to 2012.
Norman E. Dascher, Jr., CEO of Samaritan and St. Mary’s hospitals, and vice president of the Acute Care Troy Division of St. Peter’s Health Partners, worked with Dr. Marotta for many years. Of Dr. Marotta he said, “He had a relentless commitment to the Medicus Christi mission, which he established to meet the medical needs of the people of Africa. Several years ago he made a trip to South Africa and returned so moved that he asked if our hospital would sponsor an individual to come to Samaritan to receive joint replacement surgery. The hospital agreed and we provided services to this person at no charge. Dr. Marotta made all the necessary arrangements with the manufacturers for the implants and we handled the room and board.”
“He was a great leader in our hospital, and in 2005 he was nominated by the nursing staff to be ‘Doctor of the Year.’ We were all profoundly moved by his commitment to patients and staff. When he talked with people he made them feel as if they were the most important person in the world.”
Robert E. Benton, M.D. worked with Dr. Marotta for years. Dr. Benton fondly remembers his all to brief time with his friend. “Professionally, I enjoyed being his Medical Consultant for the Conquest Arena Football Team. Dr. Marotta especially enjoyed the interaction with young, enthusiastic athletes. He always had their best interests at heart in his evaluation and treatment.”
“Dr. Marotta had a personal touch with his patients and hospital staff. He consistently treated people fairly. He listened well. At the heart of his being was to do the best job and to always do things for the right reasons.”
John G. Walsh serves on the Board of Directors of Medicus Christi. He told OTW, “To say Dr. Marotta was driven would be an understatement. He embraced this self-assigned mission with passion and commitment. I am a neighbor and a friend as well as a member of the board, so one moment doesn’t stand out. I will however share this story. When he was told from the pulpit of his local church that an extra $20 bill in the basket would not do the things that needed to be done in Ghana, that was the magic moment. He decided to explore how he could get involved. He was a man looking for a mission and he found it.”
“He was also our doctor, having kids with broken bones etc. I referred many people to him, often for a second opinion, and most of them ended up switching to him. I believe he communicated very well with his patients.”
“He will be greatly missed in our neighborhood and in our community.”
Those wishing to honor the memory of Dr. Marotta may make a donation to Medicus Christi, 16 Macaffer Drive, Menands, NY 12204.
October 3, 2015
I just learned of Joe’s death today from another Hopkins Class of ’84 classmate. My heart both breaks and sings with this news. I wish I had known sooner, so that I might have traveled to celebrate Joe’s life and remarkable love for humanity at his funeral. It breaks for the world’s loss of a wonderful light against the darkness; and it sings because I know that God has called him home, his work here certainly done many times over.
At what I think was our 25th Hopkins Medical School class reunion, Joe, who I had not talked with in all the years between, asked me what I thought of his idea for Medicus Christi (not yet named at the time). Kate, who I had just met, stood there with us as Joe passionately related his new calling. It was one of those rare moments when I felt the will of God all around us.
I came at Joe’s invitation to the (one of the?) inaugural gathering of Medicus Christi in Quincy, Massachusetts, near Boston where I live. That evening was a humble beginning of the Godly vision of a man of fierce modesty. I knew Joe and his growing group of partners in good would succeed beyond anyone’s expectations…except perhaps Joe’s.
Over the years, since that night, I have loved Joe’s communications about the progress and wonder of the Medicus Christi’s service to humanity’s need for love, caring, and inspiration to hope. Occasionally, he even added a personal note to share his excitement for the young lives touched and set aflight by the passion of Medicus Christi.
So, I’ve been missing those e-mails from Joe lately; and thinking that Medicus Christi was moving on to other modes of growth, with Joe busily advancing the mission even more. I guess in a way I was right, as he is most certainly with Christ now in the Father’s bosom, sharing his love for us…despite our many failings.
May we all have the peace and joy of knowing that [Now that we have heard of Joe’s home going, there is no need to worry about him. He is just another saint gone home to live with God.]
In the name of Jesus, Amen.