Ann Vincenia Als
Ann Vincenia Als, MD Born: May 14, 1936 Transitioned: March 30, 2021 Dr. Ann Vincenia Als, of Pasadena, CA, passed away on March 30, 2021 from complications related to lung cancer. She is predeceased in death by her parents, Helen and Vincent Yarborough. She is survived by her daughter Dr. JoAnne Als and Ms. Deanna Als of South Pasadena (CA). Dr. Ann Als, born Ann Vincenia Yarborough, was born in Cambridge MA. At the age of 10, she lay close to death from pneumonia and after being saved by a trial penicillin, she vowed to become a physician in order to save others. Dr. Als was the first African American female graduate of Albany Medical College. Ann took a non-traditional route to medical school. At the age of 25, and amidst marriage and motherhood, Ann enrolled into Boston University with a focus on preparing for medical school. Although medical schools rejected her applications because of her age, Ann persevered and never gave up. In a 1988 interview with Lear’s magazine, she said, “It’s never too late to do something you want to do. You have only one life.” Following graduation from Albany Medical College in 1970, she completed her residency at Albany Medical Center. Then she took a position as assistant radiologist at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, and became an assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. She also served on Harvard’s Medical Admissions Committee. In 1988, Dr. Als joined the Summit, New Jersey, lab of Ciba-Geigy, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the United States. At Ciba-Geigy, she served as the Associate Director in Clinical Biology and was charged with developing research protocols to test the safety and efficacy of various drugs. In 1993, she was appointed the Associate Director of Berlex Laboratories Endocrinology and Fertility Control Section (NJ), where she retired in 1998. She moved to California in 2003 to be near her family. Dr. Als has been recognized with her inclusion in the Women in Medicine Series at Harvard Medical School and with an American Heart Association Leadership Award. She served as a trustee with the Emma Willard School in Troy, NY, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Affiliate of the American Heart Association. Ann was an avid tennis player, an enthusiastic traveler, adventurer, and half marathon competitor during her youth and in retirement. Her travels took her to six continents. Jazz music gave her great comfort during the Covid crisis. In her professional and personal life, she was a mentor and inspiration to countless women of all ages. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her name to KJAZZ or Albany Medical College Alumni Fund. A celebration of her life is planned for later this year.Obituary
Ann Vincenia Als, MD Born: May 14, 1936 Transitioned: March 30, 2021 Dr. Ann Vincenia Als, of Pasadena, CA, passed away on March 30, 2021 from complications related to lung cancer. She is predeceased in death by her parents, Helen and Vincent Yarborough. She is survived by her daughter Dr. JoAnne Als and Ms. Deanna Als of South Pasadena (CA). Dr. Ann Als, born Ann Vincenia Yarborough, was born in Cambridge MA. At the age of 10, she lay close to death from pneumonia and after being saved by a trial penicillin, she vowed to become a physician in order to save others. Dr. Als was the first African American female graduate of Albany Medical College. Ann took a non-traditional route to medical school. At the age of 25, and amidst marriage and motherhood, Ann enrolled into Boston University with a focus on preparing for medical school. Although medical schools rejected her applications because of her age, Ann persevered and never gave up. In a 1988 interview with Lear’s magazine, she said, “It’s never too late to do something you want to do. You have only one life.” Following graduation from Albany Medical College in 1970, she completed her residency at Albany Medical Center. Then she took a position as assistant radiologist at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, and became an assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. She also served on Harvard’s Medical Admissions Committee. In 1988, Dr. Als joined the Summit, New Jersey, lab of Ciba-Geigy, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the United States. At Ciba-Geigy, she served as the Associate Director in Clinical Biology and was charged with developing research protocols to test the safety and efficacy of various drugs. In 1993, she was appointed the Associate Director of Berlex Laboratories Endocrinology and Fertility Control Section (NJ), where she retired in 1998. She moved to California in 2003 to be near her family. Dr. Als has been recognized with her inclusion in the Women in Medicine Series at Harvard Medical School and with an American Heart Association Leadership Award. She served as a trustee with the Emma Willard School in Troy, NY, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Affiliate of the American Heart Association. Ann was an avid tennis player, an enthusiastic traveler, adventurer, and half marathon competitor during her youth and in retirement. Her travels took her to six continents. Jazz music gave her great comfort during the Covid crisis. In her professional and personal life, she was a mentor and inspiration to countless women of all ages. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her name to KJAZZ or Albany Medical College Alumni Fund. A celebration of her life is planned for later this year.
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