In Memory: Campus Mourns Loss of Two Faculty and Nursing Student
The campus mourns the loss of three special individuals: Dr. William Ferrante, Professor of Clinical Medicine; Dr. Ty Tuggle, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery; and nursing student J’Bria Bowens.
Dr. Ferrante died on January 6, 2023, at his home. He came to the LSU Gastroenterology Section in 1969, serving more than 40 years as a professor and fellowship program director.
Chief of Gastroenterology Dr. Danny Raines described Dr. Ferrante as a pioneer in the field of gastroenterology who supervised the training experience of numerous medical students, residents, and fellows across a remarkable 50+ year career in medicine.
“Dr. Ferrante was responsible for advancing the practice of gastroenterology in Louisiana tremendously over his lifetime. The lessons that he taught to his mentees are used each day and passed in kind to an endless series of physicians. Dr. Ferrante was a model for lifelong medical education who kept keenly abreast of the medical literature constantly, even in retirement,” Dr. Raines said.
Dr. Raines added that his funeral was attended by many gastroenterology graduates who celebrated Dr. Ferrante’s life.
“Bill will be deeply missed but his legacy will live on in our hearts and through our practice of his teachings,” he said.
His obituary can be found here.
Brain cancer took the life of Charles “Ty” Tuggle, 40, on December 29, 2022. A talented reconstructive hand surgeon, Ty’s ambition was to build a world-class hand program here in New Orleans. He chose the specialty because it allowed him to enable people who worked with their hands to regain their self-reliance, dignity and worth. For Ty, there was a special beauty and purpose in restoring the functions of others' hands through the labors of his own.
Ty graduated from the University of Georgia, where he was awarded the Foundation Fellowship, UGA's highest academic scholarship. After graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and first in his class in Biochemistry, he spent a year at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, where he mastered the Japanese language and fell in love with Japanese culture. Ty then went to Yale Medical School, graduating with Honors, and completed his Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery residency at Yale New-Haven Hospital and a fellowship year in Reconstructive Hand Surgery at the Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore before joining our faculty.
Ty was the beloved husband of Vera; father of son Alexander and soon-to-be-father of daughter Mila.
His obituary can be found here.
J’Bria Bowens, a student enrolled in the School of Nursing, lost her life December 30, 2022 when she became the unintended target of a stray bullet outside of a nightclub in San Pedro, Belize. Belize Prime Minister John Briceño called it “a random act of terrorism,” and has confirmed that a number of arrests have been made.
J’Bria graduated from Xavier last May and was set to graduate from the CARE BSN program next year. Nursing held a special White Coat Ceremony to present her family with her white coat. Some of the traditional and CARE BSN students have decided to wear a pin with the letter “J” on it during the Ceremony because J’Bria wore a similar “J” gold piece on a necklace.