Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For more than five decades, Staten Islanders entrusted their children’s care to Dr. Beverley Joan Short, a pediatrician whose compassion, skill, and dedication left a lasting mark on generations of families. A respected caregiver, Dr. Short, who lived in New Dorp, died on Oct. 8. She was 83. Born on Jan. 14, 1942, in Franklin, Tennessee, Dr. Short — affectionately known as Joan — grew up on a farm surrounded by nature, books, and animals. The daughter of Judge James C. Short and Bonnie LaRue Short, Dr. Short was the youngest of four sisters, Virginia, Barbara, and Jimmie. The sisters shared a deep love of learning that defined their upbringing and shaped Dr. Short’s lifelong curiosity. “My aunt was a brilliant woman,” said her niece, Bonnie McMullen. “All three sisters were valedictorian. She learned to read before she even went to kindergarten and actually skipped a grade. She could have skipped two, but my mother didn’t want her to be in her class. But she was brilliant.” McMullen added that Dr. Short’s sense of purpose was also shaped by personal loss. Her older sister, Jimmie LaRue Short, died at 18 months from a virus, before antibiotics were available — years before Dr. Short was born. “I think that always weighed heavily on Joan,” added McMullen. Education and defining years After graduating from Franklin High School, Dr. Short earned her undergraduate degree and doctor of medicine from the University of Tennessee. She completed her residency in pediatrics and a fellowship in cancer chemotherapy at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital from 1969 to 1971. This defining experience shaped her lifelong dedication to children’s health, particularly at a time when childhood leukemia was often fatal. “Joan always loved medicine,” said McMullen. “Working at St. Jude during the time she was there, leukemia was basically a death sentence for children. She just loved being around children and helping them.” A devoted career Dr. Short’s professional career began in 1972 in Tennessee, where she served as staff pediatrician and director at the Arlington Developmental Center in Memphis. Soon after, she moved to New York, first to Manhattan, then to Staten Island, where she settled in New Dorp and remained for nearly 50 years. She became a clinical instructor in pediatrics at Bayley Seton Hospital in 1975, and in 1981, she advanced to chief of the pediatric division at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital, where she served until 1998. Dr. Short also served as a pediatric attending at Sisters of Charity Medical Center in 1987 and as an assistant attending at Beth Israel Medical Center in 1994. Dr. Short was board certified in pediatrics and a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Medical Society of the State of New York. She was later honored with a 50-year medallion from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in recognition of her lifelong service. Mentorship and community impact Beyond her hospital roles, Dr. Short continued to make a difference in the community through her private practice, “Joan Short, M.D., Pediatrics,” which she opened in the late 1980s at the corner of Second and Rose streets, where she became a trusted and familiar presence for generations of Staten Island families. “She worked till 11 at night,” said McMullen. “That’s what people will tell you more than anything. Her patients were the most important thing to her in the world. Her job was her life.” Even as she faced serious illness, Dr. Short remained resilient. After receiving a lung transplant in 2012, she continued to defy the odds, living longer than expected. “She didn’t give up on her patients, and she didn’t give up on herself, or anyone else,” McMullen said. “She went through cardiac rehab. She did everything she could to try to extend her life.” In 2013, Dr. Short was forced to close her practice after being diagnosed with interstitial lung disease and dermatomyositis, conditions that left her immunocompromised. “She had to close it down, because she couldn’t be around people because of her immunosuppression,” said McMullen. “That was very sad for her.” Dr. Ernest Visconti, who began working under Dr. Short at the U.S. Public Health Hospital in 1978, remembered her as a mentor and friend. “It was wonderful working under her and being her friend all these decades,” said Visconti. “She was most professional in the work that she did. She had a lot of humanitarian instincts and would help people out who were very needy. I saw that time and time again.” His respect for Dr. Short extended beyond the professional realm, as their friendship lasted decades. “On a personal level, she helped my family out at two very key times during my career. I have very fond memories of everything that she did. I’m blessed by having her in both my family and my life,” he added. Dr. Short’s attention to her patients and colleagues went beyond routine medical care; she remembered birthdays, stayed in touch long after visits ended, and treated each child as if they were a part of her own family. “She always remembered their birthdays and always sent them notes,” said McMullen. “She thought that your birth was significant and should always be celebrated. It was your special day.” Even in her later years, Dr. Short maintained strong personal connections. She stayed in touch with her former classmates through regular email chains and monthly gatherings — a tradition they maintained well into their 80s. “Her classmates all showed up at the funeral and got up there and spoke,” recalled McMullen. “You don’t see that as much these days. She was on constant email chains. These people are 83 years old and still get together, like, once a month.” A life beyond medicine Though medicine defined much of her life, Dr. Short also embraced simple pleasures. She loved the outdoors, often biking or walking the trails at Freshkills Park. She adored music and theater, played the trumpet, and was an avid fan of Tennessee sports, especially the football and women’s basketball teams. “She called me all the time wanting to know when Tennessee football was on,” recalled McMullen. “She even came to the women’s 1998 Final Four in Kansas City. That was a great memory, because that was the year that they did the three-peat. And she was so excited to be able to participate in that.” Known for her humor, grace, and Southern charm, Dr. Short never left the house without her hairbrush and signature pink lipstick, a touch of personality her friends and family will never forget. Dr. Short was preceded in death by her parents, Judge James C. Short and Bonnie LaRue Short, her sisters, Jimmie LaRue Short, Virginia Short Hunter, and Barbara Short Haskew, her nephew Jeffrey Hunter, and brother-in-law Floyd Hunter. She is survived by her lifelong friend Patricia Mayes, nieces Allyson Hunter Ordung, Bonnie Haskew McMullen, and Holly Haskew Tambling, nephews Christopher and Farley Hunter, brother-in-law Jerre Haskew, and several great-nieces and nephews.
