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IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Alfred Anthony

Alfred Anthony Bove, M.D., Ph.D. Profile Photo

Bove, M.D., Ph.D.

April 28, 1938 – October 17, 2019

Obituary

Alfred Anthony "Fred" Bove, MD, PhD, of Wynnewood, PA, died at the age of 81 from complications of
glioblastoma. Dr. Bove was born in South Philadelphia to Alfred Anthony Bove, Sr. and Adeline
(DeRose) Bove. He was the beloved husband of Sandra Ann (Seltzer) Bove and father of Jacqueline
Marie Bove (Gregory Graeber), Andrew James Bove (Kate Youngah Suk), and the late Christopher Alfred
Bove; grandfather of Sebastian Chambers, Sophia Graeber, and Clara Bove; and brother of Michael Bove,
Nancy Tapper, Carol Gray, and the late Richard and Ronald Bove.
As a boy growing up in Upper Darby, PA, Fred loved going to the movies at the Tower Theater and riding
the P&W trolley to Ridley Creek State Park for weekend camping trips with his brothers, cousins, and
neighborhood friends. He attended West Catholic High School, Drexel University, and Temple University,
where he spent the majority of his 53-year medical career. Known for his generous and upbeat nature,
zany humor, and inexhaustible energy supply, Dr. Bove was a beloved physician who impacted the lives
of countless patients, students, colleagues, family, and friends. He earned his medical and doctoral
degrees at Temple and was Professor Emeritus, serving twice as Section Chief of Cardiology and as
Associate Dean. His enthusiasm for patient care, clinical research, and education was contagious. Even in
recent retirement he would return to Temple to deliver his lectures to the cardiovascular trainees on
Statistics and Research Design. Dr. Bove's clinical expertise in heart failure and transplantation was
renowned. For over a decade, every subsection of Heart Failure and Transplant in the city of Philadelphia
was led by a Bove-mentored physician or trainee. Dr. Bove also spent several years as a Professor of
Medicine and Consultant in Cardiovascular Disease at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. An eminent figure
in the cardiology world, Dr. Bove served as President and Trustee of the American College of Cardiology.
He was the author of over 200 research papers and of texts on coronary disease and exercise medicine.
Dr. Bove was also an expert in underwater physiology and medicine, a specialization he acquired as an
Undersea Medical Officer in the U.S. Navy. Following his discharge from active duty, he served for 25
years in the U.S. Navy Reserve, including an activation during Operation Desert Storm, and retired with
the rank of Captain. Dr. Bove made numerous scientific contributions to the field of diving medicine and
is the co-author of the standard textbook on the subject. He partnered with his wife, Sandy—whom he
met when both were working in the Temple ER in 1965—to organize an annual Temple diving medicine
course for over forty years. As a long-time Philly sports fan, Dr. Bove took a special satisfaction in his
role as the team internist for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1987-2008 and his annual participation in the
NBA Draft Combine. He was an avid runner and scuba diver and an all-around athlete who once
competed against Wilt Chamberlain in the high jump during their high school days in West Philadelphia.
Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing on Tuesday, October 22, 9-10:45 AM with a funeral mass
to follow at 11 AM at St. John Vianney Church, 350 Conshohocken State Rd, Gladwyne, PA. Interment
will be private at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American College of Cardiology Foundation at
https://www.acc.org/about-acc/support-the-acc or to Temple University to support the Alfred A. Bove,
MD, PhD Lecture within the Heart and Vascular Institute, an annual event created as a tribute to Dr.
Bove's passion for educating and training generations of physicians. Those wishing to donate to the latter
may mail contributions to Temple Health Institutional Advancement, c/o Katie Beddis, Post Office Box 827651,
Philadelphia, PA 19182, or contribute online at: giving.temple.edu/GiveToBove
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Alfred Anthony Bove, M.D., Ph.D., please visit our flower store.

Funeral Services

Viewing

October
22

St. John Vianney Church

350 Conshohocken State Rd, Gladwyne, PA 19035

9:00 - 10:45 am

Funeral Mass

October
22

St. John Vianney Church

350 Conshohocken State Rd, Gladwyne, PA 19035

Starts at 11:00 am

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