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Dr. Thomas A. Cortese, Jr., loving husband, father and dedicated physician, passed away peacefully in his home on Friday, June 28, 2024 at the age of 89. His deep dedication to his family, friends and his medical practice, along with his passion for education and research, leaves an everlasting legacy within the medical community, the lives of his patients, and all those who knew and loved him. His heart of gold lives on forever.

Born in 1934 in Beech Grove, Indiana, Dr. Cortese embarked on a lifelong journey of academic excellence and professional pursuits. By the young age of eight, he knew that his calling was to heal people like his father, who was a general surgeon and family practitioner. Upon graduating valedictorian from Cathedral High School in 1952, he received numerous scholarships and continued his educational excellence, earning his A.B. in Chemistry from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1956, followed by a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Wayne State University in 1960. His thirst for medical knowledge continued at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he received his M.D. in 1964.

One week after beginning his residency, Dr. Cortese was among 750 physicians drafted for the Vietnam conflict and was assigned to the Letterman Army Research Unit of Dermatology in San Francisco, CA, where he explored the effects of friction, heat, and humidity on the skin of soldiers and how these factors incapacitate soldiers on the battlefield.

In 1969 he joined his fatherÉ«½ä³ÉÈËÖ±²¥™s practice and, soon after, established his own private practice, which became the first dermatology facility south of US 40 on the Southside of Indianapolis. By 1982, he had opened three offices É«½ä³ÉÈËÖ±²¥“ one near Greenwood, one in Castleton, and the third on the suburban northwest side of Indianapolis. His practice was officially named Cortese Dermatology in 1988, and he provided dermatologic care through these three locations for nearly 4 decades. After private practice, he continued to work with Forefront Dermatology and retired in 2019 at the young age of 85

Thomas is survived by his adoring family, including his caring wife and love of his life of 67 years, Nia; their three daughters, Alexi, Dena, and Joanna; nine grandchildren, Sophia, Anastasia, Andreana, Angelica, Anthony, Eleni, Kara, Alex, and Thomas; and their three great-grandchildren. He has been joyfully reunited with his son, Thomas A. Cortese, III, who passed away in 2019, in addition to his beloved family members, his father Dr. Thomas Cortese, mother Thelma Donato Cortese, and brother Dr. Joseph Cortese.

Thomas was active in many organizations including the Indianapolis Food and Wine Society (IW&FS) and served as board member and President of the Italian Heritage Society of Indianapolis. He loved to travel with his family, especially to his homeland of Italy, spoke Italian, and looked forward to conversing and practicing as often as possible. In his spare time, he never stopped being curious and learning; he loved tackling new computer programs, worked on detailing his ancestry for the next generations, was intrigued with the stock market and investing trends, liked listening to opera, and relaxed to movies on Turner Classic, with "Random Harvest" among his favorites. He also found joy in simple pleasures, like indulging his sweet tooth with Italian cookies, chocolates, and gelato. And he always welcomed a night out on the town, donned in a suit and tie, enjoying good food and wine with beloved family and friends. We will miss him deeply and he will remain forever in our hearts.

Please join us for a visitation and celebration of life for Dr. Cortese held Tuesday, July 9, 2024, from 5pm-8pm at Leppert Mortuary, 740 East 86th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.

A private funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a gift in memory of Thomas A. Cortese, JR., M.D., Ph.D. made to Indiana University School of Medicine, Dept. of Dermatology, or Give Kids Art at , which is a non-profit founded by his granddaughter, Kara.

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