Dr. Si-Chun Ming, 89, Temple pathology professor, author

Dr. Si-Chun Ming, 89, of Bryn Mawr, a pathology professor at Temple University School of Medicine from 1971 to 1992, died Tuesday, Sept. 18, of complications from a stroke at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ming was acting chairman of the pathology department at Temple from 1978 to 1980.

Temple honored him in 2003 by placing his portrait on permanent display in the main corridor of its hospital, at the same time it gave that honor to his wife, Pen-Ming Lee Ming, a professor of pathology and obstetrics-gynecology there.

"My father was one of the world's foremost experts in gastrointestinal pathology," his son Michael said. "He was very well-known internationally and made very important contributions to the field."

He was coauthor, with Harvey Goldman, of Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract, published in 1992.

Dr. Ming represented the United States from 1984 to 1998 on a World Health Organization committee on stomach cancer problems.

And he was chairman of the pathology panel of the International Study Group on Gastric Cancer in the 1970s and 1980s.

Born in Shanghai, China, Dr. Ming earned his medical degree in 1947 at the National Central University School of Medicine in Nanjing.

Dr. Ming was in Boston from 1952 to 1967, except for working as a visiting fellow at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1964-65.

He completed his residence in pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in 1956, worked as an associate pathologist at Beth Israel Hospital there from 1956 to 1967, and was an assistant professor of pathology at Harvard University Medical School from 1965 to 1967.

Dr. Ming then went to Baltimore, as an associate professor of pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine from 1967 to 1971.

He authored Precursors of Gastric Cancer in 1984 and Atlas of Tumor Pathology: Tumors of the Esophagus and Stomach in 1990.

Dr. Ming lectured widely abroad, from Bolivia to Hungary to Israel, his son said.

Family legend holds that he was a direct descendant of Min Ziqian, born in 536 B.C., a disciple of Confucius.

Besides his son Michael and his wife of 55 years, Dr. Ming is survived by another son, Jeffrey; daughters Carol, Ruby, Stephanie, and Eileen Ming; a brother; two sisters; and nine grandchildren. A granddaughter, Justine Lucey, died in 2011.

A memorial service was set for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Chapel of Peace at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, 225 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwyd.

Donations may be sent to Stan Retif, Elwyn Foundation, 111 Elwyn Rd., Elwyn, Pa. 19063.