In Memoriam of Maurizio Maurizi| ACTA Otorhinolaryngologica Italica

Abstract

Prof. Maurizio Maurizi passed away on March 24, 2019. Born in Rieti on July 17, 1932 he graduated in Medicine in Perugia before moving to La Sapienza University at Rome under the guidance of Prof. Domenico Filipo. After directing the Audiology at Cagliari in 1970/1971, on 1 November 1971 he was called upon to direct the Otolaryngology Clinic at the University of Perugia where he remained until 31 October 1987. After this, he was Chair of Otorhinolaryngology at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, a position he held until his retirement on 1 November, 2004. He was later awarded the title of Professor Emeritus. Until the day before leaving us he was always kept informed of the career developments at “his” school: we, his pupils, will always be grateful to him. Being a leader is not easy. One must be able not only professionally and technically, but must also have a driving force to motivate their collaborators. One must know how to choose them, be lucid and fair in decisions regarding career advancements, and know how to give as well as receive, even accepting the possibility that they can become better than their teacher. Prof. Maurizi was all this. He stimulated young people to do things and he wanted them to learn. For those who wanted to pursue a university career, he imposed the need to research and publish. He never tired of repeating that patients were at the top of the pyramid, and that is was our job to solve their problems. Under his rough skin, he was a good man, capable of unexpected gestures of affection, hard to influence and with his very specific ideas that derived from hard work, which sometimes led him to put clinical duties before his beloved wife Paola and his children Benedetta and Alessandro. One of his recognisable aspects was that he really appreciated the work of others and that he loved the substance of appearance. His ideas on life were expressed by the many dozens of “thoughts” he loved to write with a felt-tip pen on the glass of the many paintings in his office: it would be difficult to list them all. A few examples: “We must be and not appear”, “We all need to be accepted for what we are”, “We can be better than many, but not better than everyone”, “He who knows”, “Nothing comes from nothing”, “A bad teacher is one who is not surpassed by his students “and, finally, many considerations on gratitude such as “Always do good, even if ingratitude is infinite”. Prof. Maurizi was wrong for once, because I, we and all those who grew up with him are extremely grateful and hope to follow the path he showed us. Thanks, and rest in peace.