Gordon P. Flake

On July 30th, 2018, Dr. Gordon P. Flake passed away at home. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Cristina; five children, Stuart, Margo, Mandy, Heather and Derek; 10 grandchildren, Atlas, Ann Marie, Betsy, Nina, Elie, Haven, Maya, Tyler, Sophia and Logan; his brothers, Dickson Flake (Linda) and John Flake (Karen), and nieces, Lesley, Jessica and Rebecca. Dr. Flake was born on Dec. 17, 1940, grew up in Little Rock and attended Little Rock Central High School. He continued his education at Johns Hopkins Undergraduate School where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Vanderbilt Medical School where he graduated first in his class. His pathology residency included three years at Vanderbilt, two years at the University of Minnesota, and one year at MD Anderson Center in Houston. He practiced pathology for two years in Panama while in the Army Medical Corps during the Vietnam War. There he met the love of his life, Cristina Quiros, and married in May 1973. He practiced for two years in Huntsville, AL, and 20 years in New Orleans, La., before moving to Chapel Hill in 1996, where he worked for 20 years at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). He loved his job at NIEHS in the department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology. He enjoyed talking to his colleagues, learning each day, and contributing to their studies. He loved all of the people in his department; and in his mind, they were part of his family. Other than his family, his work was his life. He considered everybody in the Institute a friend, including security guards, cafeteria staff, and housekeeping, and he appreciated their friendship. He felt blessed to work at such an interesting place with so many smart, dedicated people. In the words of his co-workers at NIEHS: "We considered Gordon to be a best friend and colleague to everyone, no matter your position or status at the Institute. He was well-respected for his intellect, detailed approach to his work, and his sound contributions to science and public health, in particular his seminal research on the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids, and his numerous co-authorships on government reports, manuscripts, and book chapters. He was admired for his devotion to Cristina, Derek, and his family. We will always remember his love for baseball trivia, the Kentucky Derby and of course, UNC basketball despite not ever watching an entire game on TV. We at NIEHS will always remember Gordon as a gentleman, humble and kind; we all considered him our true friend and we would be honored if he felt the same way about us. Gordon will be truly missed at NIEHS." The kind of research conducted by Dr. Flake, which led to his recognition as a world expert, is noted in the article, "Etiology and pathogenesis of uterine leiomyomas: a review," which up to this date has been cited 567 times. In later research on this subject he coined the word "inanosis," which is now included in medical lexicon There will be a private graveside funeral for the family in Chapel Hill on Monday, August 6th. A Celebration of Life Memorial for friends and family will be held on Saturday, August 11 from 4-7 p.m. at Extraordinary Ventures in Chapel Hill. If anyone wishes to contribute to a charity in honor of Dr. Flake, charities of his choosing include the Special Olympics of North Carolina, Extraordinary Ventures of Chapel Hill, and The Arc of the Triangle. The Flake family is being assisted by Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill.