Case Western Reserve University is mourning the sudden death last week of fourth-year medical student Hilary M. Rosenheim, a Wisconsin native who came to Cleveland to pursue her dream of becoming an emergency room physician or family medicine practitioner. She was 26.
Rosenheim, who married classmate Jessie G. Ellner (MED ’15) in May, regularly lifted others’ spirits with her bright smile and constant commitment to helping others. Among many other qualities, she was an accomplished musician, a talented baker and an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers.
The School of Medicine’s four Society Deans (C. Kent Smith, Robert Haynie, Steven Ricanati, and Lynda Montgomery) have invited students, faculty and staff who knew Rosenheim to gather at 5 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 3) in Room E321 of the Robbins Building.
The deans emphasized that they want to provide “a safe and open environment for all to grieve and come together,” and noted that staff from University Counseling Services also will be available for those who wish to talk. In addition, members of the university community can convey condolences to Rosenheim’s family online.
Funeral services also take place Thursday, specifically at 11 a.m. at St. Rose Catholic Church in Rosenheim’s hometown of Clintonville, Wis. She is a member of St. Rose and also attended Family of Christ Church in Clintonville.
While in high school in Clintonville, Rosenheim performed in three different student bands, competed in two sports, and participated in the local Math League. She won the school’s Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for her musical accomplishments, and its Pi Award for memorizing 1,027 digits of that number.
After high school, Rosenheim attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she completed a major senior project in biology, “The role of oxidative stress in the beneficial effects of exercise on Alzheimer’s disease.” At Case Western Reserve, Rosenheim was one of six co-authors of a study published in 2013, “Exendin 4 ameliorates traumatic brain injury induced cognitive impairment in rats.”
Rosenheim and Ellner had moved to Hilliard this year. In addition to her spouse, Rosenheim is survived by her mother, Rita (Edward) Braund of Clintonville; her father, John (Janice) Rosenheim of Clintonville; and her father- and mother-in-law, James Theobald and Vivian Ellner of New York, N.Y., as well as several aunts and uncles and many other relatives and friends.
Rosenheim’s loved ones plan to establish a scholarship in her name for students who wish to enter medicine. the daily will provide details on how to contribute when they become available.