In Memoriam: Thomas Russell Firor, MD

Thomas Russell Firor, MD, fondly known to many as Dr. Tom, died on October 28, 2021, at his home in Montgomery, Ohio, surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was 64.

Thomas was born on January 18th, 1957, in Athens, Georgia to Hugh Firor and Betty Bourdon Firor. With his family’s frequent moves, he spent his formative years traveling and living in many different places throughout the US and abroad. Roaming the hills of Idaho, finding his way in unfamiliar cultures of South Africa and navigating the streets of Chicago, was perhaps how his sense of curiosity and adventure was born.

Thomas attended Miami University of Oxford, Ohio where he earned the degrees in literature and psychology, followed by the University of Cincinnati Medical School, graduating with a degree in medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati. After residency, he stayed on to work at Jewish Hospital for several more years, running their residency program, the job he enjoyed immensely. Passionate about the well-being of his patients, always searching for the gentler side of medicine, Tom followed his calling and dedicated the rest of his career to practicing and promoting alternative medical treatments. He studied and practiced Homeopathy, Functional Medicine, energetic medicine, and other modalities. His patients will  remember him for his dogged perseverance in finding solutions to their often very difficult problems and his willingness to go the extra mile to help them in any way he could.

He shared his knowledge in his writings as well. His numerous articles for “City Beat,” a local magazine in Cincinnati, often appeared on the paper’s front cover.

Thomas studied music from the time he was a child. A talented pianist and composer, as a young man in the 1980’s he was selected by the renowned composer Aaron Copeland to perform one of his own compositions at Carnegie Hall. His music as well as his poetry are where Tom shared his heart with the world. He played piano daily for his family and friends. He wrote poems all his life and loved to read them out loud while looking intently into listeners’ faces, searching for approval and connection.

More than anything, Tom was a family man. He married Kaska Klymiuk on January 17th 1986. Together they had three children, a daughter, Katherine and two sons, Robert and Christopher.“

https://everloved.com/life-of/thomas-firor/obituary/. (Accessed 06.11.22)

Remembrances of Tom Firor, MD, who passed away after battling kidney cancer for many years

Tom Firor and I were colleagues who yearly attended Andre Saine’s Montreal homeopathic seminars from about 2006 to 2019, which was the last year the course was offered in person due to the ensuing Covid pandemic. Tom would often contact me a week or two before the seminar (which I had made plans to go to months before) and ask if I was going and that he was on the fence. Of course, I told him yes and to come, and he most often did. For several  years in a row, we would stay in Montreal at McGill Residence Hotel on Avenue du Parque. Tom always went out of his way to be friendly with the hotel staff, and they certainly seemed to enjoy the banter and his return each summer. We would often go to lunch and dinner together with the group at the many great restaurants in the plateau neighborhood of Montreal and talk about homeopathy and the joys and sorrows and difficulties of being a homeopath. Often while we were there, we attended a festival on St. Lawrence Avenue not far from the hotel, and Tom and I would end up walking around till late at night discussing life. We would also catch him playing an amazing classical piano at the hotel, and on a visit to Andre’s house toward the end of the seminar, he and Tom McCoy, who taught piano and was also a homeopath, would take turns playing songs. We’d all watch and listen in amazement. Tom Firor told me that he played classical music on the piano once at a major venue in NYC. I believe it was Carnegie Hall.

He was very devoted to his family and to homeopathy. He would share his success stories with homeopathy with great gusto and would often ask for advice about certain cases, which was freely given. He had an inquisitiveness and desire to discover the truth which is rare in a conventionally-trained physician. He knew the homeopathic practitioner Michael Somerson, DO, quite well and felt that his death from cancer at a seemingly young age was a tragedy. We will all miss Tom’s quirky smile and deep laugh, his playfulness and love of homeopathy. He was the only homeopath I ever met who said that we should share our failures as well as our successes in homeopathy in order to gain perspective. Our prayers go out to his children and wife Kaska. He will be missed.

Tom had a very childlike and playful side. At the Montreal conferences he would at times surround himself with all types of crystals on his table where he was taking notes. He would let you hold the crystals to feel the energy and then smile.

We were often confused because our names were so similar. Once at our office in Chicago we received an obscure remedy that was addressed to me. I denied any knowledge of asking for this remedy. Finally, our office staff called the pharmacy, and it was determined that the remedy was meant for Tom Firor and not us.

– Tim Fior, MD, DABHM

I remember Tom Firor well, having met him at Andre Saine’s yearly seminars in Montreal. Although I was not as close to him as Tim Fior was, the  conversations we had made a deep impression. He was above all a healer who was constantly searching for the best for his patients. More cannot be said of any physician. From Tim Fior’s beautiful description of the man we can only feel blessed that such wide expansive spirits and beautiful characters live among us and give of the best of themselves constantly. My heart goes out to his family. He will certainly be missed.

– Alex Bekker, MD, ABIHM