Saturday, July 10, 2004

Belen native fought spread of virus throughout world

Stephen Tabet, University of Washington associate professor, dies suddenly at age of 42

Haley Wachdorf News-Bulletin Staff Writer; hwachdorf@news-bulletin.com

Belen A Belen native who spent his adult life performing research in all parts of the globe to fight the spread of the HIV- AIDS virus died on Tuesday of unknown causes.

Dr. Stephen Tabet, 42, an associate professor at the University of Washington, was found dead in his Seattle home by a colleague who went to check on him after he did not arrive for work, his family reported. An autopsy to determine the cause of Tabet's death has been performed, but the results are not known at this time.

Tabet was a 1979 graduate of Belen High School and a 1991 graduate of the University of New Mexico Medical School. Tabet attended the University of Washington in Seattle for his residency in internal medicine and also got a master's degree in public health. He joined the faculty at University of Washington in 1999.

Although Tabet's life as a faculty member at one of the nation's largest medical schools was very busy, he was not content to simply teach. In 1998, he initiated a program to improve the care of patients with HIV in the State of Washington's prison system. His interest in HIV-AIDS and compassion for those struggling with the disease led him to join the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, a group committed to the development of a vaccine for HIV-AIDS. Research on that project took him to Peru, and he also traveled the world giving lectures on his work.

Tabet's brother-in-law, Sam Chavez of Belen, said that until his death, Tabet's family was not fully aware of the scope of his work and research because he was so humble he rarely talked about it.

"Stephen was not one to toot his own horn, and we had no concept as to the amount of work that he did and the type of work that he did," he said. "He was pretty low-key about it all, and some of the accolades that have been laid upon him by his boss, we didn't even know were happening. As if he didn't have enough to do at the university with teaching and research, he went out and had his own company working within the prison system, dealing with all the HIV and hepatitis-infected prisoners. ... He never wanted the acclaim and the recognition, even to his own family he would say 'Yeah, I got a promotion,' and we didn't know he was in charge of a worldwide AIDS project."

Dr. Larry Corey, the principal investigator for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, memorialized Tabet in a letter he sent to his colleagues on Wednesday, saying that Tabet was the kind of doctor and scientist who took the time to build relationships with the people who most needed his help.

"His care for HIV-infected persons at the Harborview Hospital Medical Center was legendary," Corey wrote. "Stephen not only provided the bilingual support needed for caring for the many Hispanic patients attending the clinic, but he also handled the most difficult cases, indifferent to language. ... Stephen had a passion for teaching providers about care of persons with HIV, taking the time and interest to share his insights and experience, and mentored and educated numerous health professionals throughout the world."

Although Tabet's family has been amazed to learn of the scope of his work, they are not at all surprised by the reports of his kindness and generosity for others. Tabet's 21-year-old niece, Marianne Padilla, said one of her greatest delights as a child was to receive the postcards he sent her from his travels around the world.

"We were like his kids," she said. "He'd give us the shirt off his back. He would send us a postcard from every place he went, from Peru, South America, he was in Asia, Europe, Honduras, just all over. He was a kind soul. He loved everybody for who they were, each individual person."

Tabet's brother, Adam Tabet, lives in the Seattle area and said visiting Uncle Stephen was always a highlight for his two children, Alissa, 3, and Noah, 5. When he was younger, Noah was unable to pronounce the letter S, and so he called Stephen "Uncle Two-Cats," because he owned two house cats. This was changed to "Uncle Two Kitties," and eventually "Uncle Tookies," a name Adam said Stephen loved. Adam said that, in his own way, Noah has been trying to help the family focus on remembering the good in Stephen's life even as they mourn his passing.

"Since we told him about what happened, Noah has said a couple of times 'You know, Dad, don't think about Uncle Stephen being gone, think about all the stuff we did with him,'" he said. "He had a gift for connecting with people, but it's hard with kids, and not everyone can, but he could do it."

A memorial Mass for Tabet is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, July 12, at Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church. Visitation will start at 8 a.m. at the church.

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