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ENLARGE
Margaret Billingham was born in Tanga, Tanzania, East Africa, in 1930, to Colin and Violet Macpherson.
She was educated at the Loreto School in Kenya and did her medical training at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
In 1956, she married Dr. John Billingham while they were both working as interns at the Hampstead General Hospital in London.
They had two sons, Robert and Graham.
In 1963, she emigrated with her family to the United States. She settled in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1965. She became a resident in pathology at Stanford University Medical School in 1968. She became a diplomat of the American Board of Pathology in 1972.
At Stanford, Dr. Billingham distinguished herself at all levels, receiving many teaching awards. She acted as a mentor to students at the medical school and to faculty from around the world. She steadily rose through the ranks at Stanford to become professor of pathology in 1988. She is perhaps best known for her work with Dr. Norman Shumway's team on the pathology of transplanted hearts.
She received honors and awards from all over the world. She was a fellow of the Royal College of Pathology, the College of American Pathologists, the American College of Cardiology, and the American College of Chest Physicians. She was a founding member of the International Society of Heart Transplantation, and in 1990-91 became its president.
After retiring in 1994, Dr. Billingham became professor emerita in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Stanford. In 2002, she was selected by the U.S. and Canadian Academy of Pathology as Distinguished Pathologist of the Year for 2001.
Dr. Billingham's interests also included music, gardening, reading, traveling, fishing and horse riding. She was known for her quiet ways and her gentle, unassuming approach to life in general and to her family and friends.
She is survived by her sister, ShirleyAnn; husband John; sons Bob and Graham and daughter-in-laws Christine and Jeanine; and grandchildren, to whom she was devoted, Briana, Caitlin, Cameron and Megan.
In keeping with her wishes, there will be a private gathering in the future. Contributions may be made in her name to Habitat for Humanity.
Arrangements are under the direction of Chapel of the Angels Mortuary and Crematory in Grass Valley.
She was educated at the Loreto School in Kenya and did her medical training at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
In 1956, she married Dr. John Billingham while they were both working as interns at the Hampstead General Hospital in London.
They had two sons, Robert and Graham.
In 1963, she emigrated with her family to the United States. She settled in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1965. She became a resident in pathology at Stanford University Medical School in 1968. She became a diplomat of the American Board of Pathology in 1972.
At Stanford, Dr. Billingham distinguished herself at all levels, receiving many teaching awards. She acted as a mentor to students at the medical school and to faculty from around the world. She steadily rose through the ranks at Stanford to become professor of pathology in 1988. She is perhaps best known for her work with Dr. Norman Shumway's team on the pathology of transplanted hearts.
She received honors and awards from all over the world. She was a fellow of the Royal College of Pathology, the College of American Pathologists, the American College of Cardiology, and the American College of Chest Physicians. She was a founding member of the International Society of Heart Transplantation, and in 1990-91 became its president.
After retiring in 1994, Dr. Billingham became professor emerita in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Stanford. In 2002, she was selected by the U.S. and Canadian Academy of Pathology as Distinguished Pathologist of the Year for 2001.
Dr. Billingham's interests also included music, gardening, reading, traveling, fishing and horse riding. She was known for her quiet ways and her gentle, unassuming approach to life in general and to her family and friends.
She is survived by her sister, ShirleyAnn; husband John; sons Bob and Graham and daughter-in-laws Christine and Jeanine; and grandchildren, to whom she was devoted, Briana, Caitlin, Cameron and Megan.
In keeping with her wishes, there will be a private gathering in the future. Contributions may be made in her name to Habitat for Humanity.
Arrangements are under the direction of Chapel of the Angels Mortuary and Crematory in Grass Valley.
