In Remembrance
Robert Edwin Solinger, MD, FACC May 2, 1937- November 13, 2025
Robert Edwin Solinger passed away peacefully on November 13, 2025. He was born on May 2, 1937, in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Owensboro and Louisville, the son of Theodore and Eva Solinger. A graduate of Atherton High School, Bob earned his Bachelor’ s degree in Physics from UCLA before returning to Louisville to study medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He completed both his pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric cardiology at UofL, later becoming a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology.
I first met Bob in 1973 while training in pediatric cardiology under Dr. Kareem Minhas, then Director of the Division. Bob and Dr. Francisco Elbl were Dr. Minhas’ s associates, and together they operated a pediatric cardiology practice dedicated to caring for children with congenital heart disease. Following Dr. Minhas’ s passing, Bob became Division Chief and extended an invitation for me to join the faculty.
and speaking invitations. Our center performed the second neonatal heart transplant in the United States and the first arterial switch operation for transposition of the great vessels in Kentucky. We also greatly expanded outreach clinics to better serve children and families across both urban and rural Kentucky.
Over the years, my professional respect for Bob grew into a deep friendship. I always admired his honesty, his dry sense of humor and – above all – his unwavering dedication and compassion for his patients and their families. He shaped not only a generation of physicians, but also the lives of countless children he cared for. I will miss him dearly as both a colleague and a friend.
-Allan H Rees, MD, FACC
Under Dr. Solinger’ s leadership, the Division reached many important milestones. We developed and published an imaging protocol for complex congenital heart defects that brought national recognition
26 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
Dr. Solinger was a member of GLMS for 55 years.