Brigham and Women’s Hospital mourns the loss of Christopher Fletcher, MD, FRCPath, professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School and senior pathologist at the Brigham. Dr. Fletcher died on July 28 at the age of 66.

A member of the Brigham community for nearly 30 years, Dr. Fletcher was recruited from the University of London by Ramzi Cotran, MD, then chair of the Brigham’s Department of Pathology. Dr. Fletcher served as the director of Surgical Pathology for nearly two decades before becoming vice chair of Anatomic Pathology. Since 2000, Dr. Fletcher also served as chief of Onco-Pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2023, he retired to the position of professor emeritus to devote more time and energy to his family.

“Chris was the finest surgical pathologist of his generation and an even better person,” said longtime colleague Jon Aster, MD, PhD, deputy chair of Pathology. “No one worked harder for the good of patients, clinicians and trainees, and yet he also made the work great fun, partly through his frequently irreverent sense of humor. People were attracted to him because a few minutes with Dr. Fletcher always seemed to brighten one’s spirits. He was an inspiring leader.”

Widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost surgical pathologists, Dr. Fletcher revolutionized the classification of soft tissue tumors. His groundbreaking research and clinical innovations set new standards and advanced tumor classification, allowing for more effective treatment of patients with cancer. His extensive body of work includes nearly 600 original journal articles and more than 150 books, book chapters and review articles. In 1995, Dr. Fletcher published the first edition of his award-winning textbook, Diagnostic Histopathology of Tumours, which is still considered the definitive resource for tumor pathology.

Equally as important to his research was his commitment to education and mentoring. Colleagues and trainees emphasized that one of Dr. Fletcher’s most enduring contributions is the generations of pathologists and other clinicians who benefited from his teaching, mentorship and ample generosity.

“Some of my fondest memories of Chris include watching him hold forth at teaching conferences,” said Aster. “Beyond his encyclopedic knowledge and remarkable talent as a diagnostician, he loved to teach, and he did so with vigor and humor in equal measure.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Fletcher recognized the vital role of pathologists-in-training and support staff in the shared mission of exceptional patient care. He was deeply admired by residents and fellows for his unwavering support and advice, as well as his memorable and engaging teaching style. His entertaining, biannual “Director’s Rounds” were well-known among residents.

“During the Director’s Rounds, he’d pull impossible cases from his files and then, literally, throw groceries at people as rewards for trying to solve the case, describing the findings, coming up with a differential and proposing stains — the biggest prize being a coveted pineapple,” said Mariko Peterson, MD, PhD, chief resident in Pathology.

Dr. Fletcher also cared deeply for the patients he served, using his extensive skill as a pathologist to provide diagnoses for patients from around the world, including those in resource-limited areas. “Dr. Fletcher dedicated himself to teaching the next generation of pathologists and rendering diagnoses to those patients across the globe with rare soft tissue tumors,” said Delia Liepins, director of Operations for Anatomic Pathology.

His passions for pathology, teaching and patient care came together during “sign-outs,” when he was surrounded by junior and senior pathology trainees and faculty. During these afternoon sessions, Dr. Fletcher would examine stacks of challenging pathology cases from around the world, often pro-bono, providing his expert diagnoses and personalized and detailed explanations of his findings. These cases provided a unique educational opportunity for junior colleagues, as they often included rare or previously undiscovered and unreported soft tissue tumors that led to pioneering discoveries.

Throughout his career, Dr. Fletcher received numerous awards recognizing his clinical excellence, research contributions and commitment to education. These included the Clinical Leadership Award from Brigham and Women’s Physicians Organization (2005), the USCAP Board’s Distinguished Pathologist Award (2017) and the American Association for Cancer Research’s James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pathology in Cancer Research (2024). He was also an honorary fellow and member at renowned institutions throughout the world.

Colleagues remember Dr. Fletcher not only as a brilliant researcher and pathologist, but also as a genuinely thoughtful and kind person who made everyone feel important and heard.

“Even as a brand-new resident, I was struck by his deep capacity to care about his patients and everyone in the department — fellow faculty, residents, and lab and administrative staff,” said Peterson. “He used his position to open doors for his colleagues and trainees, and he cared so deeply for all of us. He was an example of what a physician and all-around good person should be, and he’ll always be a presence in our department as we learn how to be doctors.”

“Just before the holidays, Dr. Fletcher would bring boxes of cookies for the staff and hand deliver them and wish everyone a ‘Happy Christmas,’” recalled Liepins. “He would personally wrap bottles of champagne for the managers and again hand deliver the gifts. He always made it a point to connect with all of us — lab staff, administrative staff, managers and trainees. He was a brilliant, world-renowned pathologist with a truly kind soul.”

Born and raised in England, Dr. Fletcher earned his bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School in London in 1981. He completed residency training in histopathology at St. Thomas’s Hospital and earned a doctorate in medicine from the University of London in 1991.

Dr. Fletcher is survived by his beloved partner, Janina Longtine, MD; his three daughters, Amy, Alexandra and Fenella; his son-in-law, Joshua; his two stepchildren, Amelia and Jared; and five grandchildren.