Hans H. Bode, MD
Professor Emeritus of Medicine
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Hans Henning Bode, who died peacefully in his sleep on December 9, 2024. He leaves his wife, travel companion, dance partner and culinary explorer of 60 years, Jane L. Bode, and four children, Stephanie Bode Ward (David), Katja Bode Dulmaine (Jean), Heidi Bode (Todd McGiverin) and Kai Bode (Samantha).
Hans was immensely proud of his 14 grandchildren (Samantha, Dylan, Tatiana, Slater, Megan, Natasha†, Maslen, Talia, Tyler, Zachary, Hans, Cooper, Colin, and Holden) and great grandchildren (Rileigh, Audrey, and Tyson) who brought him so much joy and shared in so much laughter with him.
We are all fortunate to have loved him and to have been loved by him. Hans was born in Bremen, Germany on September 24th, 1932, as one of four children of Bertha and Hans Bode. He was educated in Germany and in 1962, he continued his medical training as a pediatric resident at the University of Michigan, where he met Jane. They moved to Germany and married in 1964, and Hans began a Clinical Research Fellowship in Pediatrics at the University of Marburg.
In 1966, Hans and Jane, now with two children, moved to Boston. Hans spent 25 years as a Pediatric Endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and teaching at Harvard Medical School, where he was known for his warmth, compassion, and ability to connect with children, families, and students. He encouraged students to approach patients’ ailments with curiosity and critical thinking. His passion for teaching and mentoring impacted many of his students throughout their careers. His friend and mentee Dr. Scott Rivkees reflected this when he said, “with every patient I see, every paper I write, every question I ask, [Hans is] there with me.”
In 1990, Hans and Jane’s desire to continue to grow and learn led them to Sydney, Australia, where Hans became the Medical Director at the Sydney Children’s Hospital and the Pediatric Chairman at New South Wales University. In 1998, their journey took them to Uganda, where they volunteered for five years, initially at Lacor Hospital, and later Hans worked at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) where he continued to mentor medical students, see patients, and publish research. During that time, he raised the funds for the expansion of the pediatric hospital, including the creation of the Natasha Nutrition Center and a new Neonatal Center. After their time in Uganda, they volunteered in Mozambique and later in Tanzania. In 2015, Hans was honored with the Medal of Order of Australia “for service to international relations through voluntary health roles in Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania.”
Throughout his life, Hans was deeply passionate about his work, especially proud of the rapport he built with the children he treated. A former patient wrote that she appreciated him “foremost as a human, [he] had the balance of science and humanity at a critical point.” His genuine kindness and humor left a lasting impact on his patients, students, and friends.
After his retirement, Hans and Jane continued to travel, always eager to experience new cultures and meet new people. His intellectual curiosity, generosity and compassion for humanity never waned. Hans once wrote, “We have enjoyed such a very rare and beautiful life together. I would not change or give up a single day. We just did so many things right.”
A memorial service will be held at Cambridge at Harvard Chapel at 1:00pm on January 18, 2025, in his honor. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to MGH for Children’s Fund at https://giving.massgeneral.org/donate/massgeneral-for-children.