Dr. Ned Chalat of Grosse Pointe, Mich., died Feb. 5, 2021, at 95. As a life-long resident of the Detroit area, a practicing physician and active leader in many civic organizations, he had a profound impact on the community and his family.
For 50 years he practiced as a ear, nose and throat physician in downtown Detroit, where much of his time was devoted to inner city residents.
He was also a clinical professor of otolaryngology at Wayne State University School of Medicine and was credited for pioneering research on transplanting eardrums.
During the Detroit riots in 1968, he refused to abandon his patients and drove through police barriers to make rounds at Harper Hospital.
During the AIDS crisis, he trained as a Red Cross instructor and berated doctors who refused to treat those patients. In the Detroit Medical News, he wrote essays promoting awareness of domestic violence, poverty and civil rights and prodded members of his profession to help address those issues.
Dr. Chalat received a BS in zoology from the University of Michigan in 1945, and an MD in 1948. In 1952 he took a fellowship at the Lempert Institute in New York City. In 1953-1955, he served in the USAF as a surgeon at Parks AFB in Livermore, Calif.
He was president of the Wayne County Medical Society and chief of the ear, nose and throat depts. at Harper and Sinai Hospitals.
Dr. Chalat is survived by his son, Jim (Linda Chalat) of Evergreen, Colo., and daughter, Nancy (Tom Noaker); grandchildren Alexandra Chalat Pearson (Jonny Pearson), Rachel Chalat Steudle (Brett Steudle), Grace Chalat, Harris Chalat (Sofia Panero), Dylan Noaker; and great-grandson Finnigan Steudle.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Joann Steinberg Chalat, his sister Ruth and son Andrew.
Dr. Chalat was interred in a private service at Beth El Memorial Park, Livonia, Mich. A post-pandemic memorial is anticipated.
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