If there is a word or phrase to capture the essence of Tim Hosea it would be a “renaissance man”. He had a passion for life with a multitude of interests and gave freely of his time and knowledge. He was funny, warm and compassionate and expected excellence of himself and those entrusted with the care of his patients. It was an honor to know him and to work with him; you could not feel prouder of earning his respect and to be a part of his team. His legacy will live in our hearts as we continue to strive for the best we can be every day with every life we touch. God bless Tim and to all he has touched in his lifetime, he will be sorely missed.

Darleen Caccavale
UOA Practice Manager

I feel very lucky to have known Dr. Hosea and to have had the opportunity to work with him. When I was a medical student at Rutgers RWJ, I remember him being the ‘prototype orthopod’ because of his size (being so tall) and because he took care of the Rutgers athletes. You knew he was ‘the man.’ When I joined UOA three years ago, he helped me build my practice, sending me patients that he had taken care of for years that now needed knee replacements, confirming with me, ‘You do knees right?’ I shared the Princeton office with him, seeing patients every other Friday. I quickly saw and realized why he was the town doctor. He literally knew and saw everybody. Watching him work and seeing him interact with patients of all ages, from the college athletes and the Olympic rowers, to friends that he knew and treated for decades, he really was someone who mastered the art of medicine. I will miss him deeply.

Stephen Kayiaros, MD

Tim was a father like figure to me. He took time to help me grow early in my practice and was always looking out for me. I will miss him greatly.

Jamie Monica, MD

I met Dr. Hosea 30 years ago in July, when he joined what is now Rutgers Medical School as part of the training faculty. Four years after the training, I joined UOA, so I worked closely with him for the past 30 years.

 

Dr. Hosea was a very large part of my development as a physician, especially learning from him how to be a good practitioner, in particular in an office-based practice. When you train to be an orthopaedist–and this was true especially years ago–you spend all your time in a hospital, going from one surgery to the next for at least 10 hours a day. We didn’t really learn how to care for patients in an outpatient setting. He was a master at that.

 

He was very good at listening to what the athlete said about his or her injury. Any injury to an athlete may be a big problem, limiting practice and competition. Dr. Hosea was a master at understanding the athlete’s point of view about the injury even if it was not a serious career-ending event. I observed his approach for many years and hopefully in my practice I have I incorporated some of his masterful techniques.

 

He treated literally thousands of patients in Central Jersey. I think the athletes who will miss him the most are the members of the US rowing team. I observed him treat these elite athletes and they all came to love him.

 

He was just all around very respectful; a very good person. I spent many hours with him both in professional and social settings, and he was also an example as a sportsman and a person. He is going to be sorely missed.

 

Personally I will miss Tim the most when shooting clay targets. We belonged to several clubs together and often competed against other clubs. At one of the clubs we sign in each time we compete and in the column next to your signature is a space to write the name of the person who introduced you to the club. So now, it’s going to be pretty bittersweet. Each time I sign in, I will write his name. I will remember and honor him.

Mark Butler, MD

It seems odd that we don’t realize how much someone is woven into the fabric of our lives until the weave is broken.

 

I was a resident when Tim started his career at what would become UOA. I was fairly inexperienced in most things of life. While waiting for a case with Dr. Hosea I explained how I’d never actually played golf but had gone to a driving range and enjoyed it. The next thing I knew he was driving me to Tara Greens. And so it was that a member of Pine Valley and Beden’s Brook Country Clubs played golf on a glorified cow pasture with me. Changing my life.

 

A few years later, when I joined UOA, I mentioned to Tim that I was using the rowing machine at my gym to help shed a few pounds, and that I oddly enjoyed it. Over the next few months he got me to join the Carnegie Lakers, a community rowing club, where he himself taught me how to erg and I learned to row. Rowing became a permanent part of my life, and my family’s life.

 

My life would have been so much different, so much less full without Tim Hosea having been a part of it.

David Harwood, MD

I had the pleasure of working with Tim Hosea for over 28 years and am proud to call him my mentor and friend. Dr. Hosea was an outstanding orthopaedic surgeon, but his contributions went way beyond being a great doctor. He was a leader in the field of sports medicine and generously shared his knowledge and friendly spirit with all who came in contact with him. Dr. Hosea was an advocate for athletic trainers and helped to advance the athletic training profession within the state of New Jersey and nationally. He welcomed many an athletic trainers’ request to watch him in surgery or follow him around as he saw patients. He was accessible, open to questions and always willing to help an athletic trainer out. He was the consummate teacher. As the head of the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to the NJSIAA he helped to lead the discussions of sports safety in high school sports in NJ. His committee involvement went beyond the state level as he was involved in national sports safety discussions as well.

 

Public speaking was one of his fortes and he was an excellent speaker. His talks were always based on solid science with a splash of personal perspective and a good joke or two. He spoke at numerous national, regional and state professional meetings on a myriad of topics. One of his favorite topics to talk about was rowing as he was a die-hard crew fan. Dr. Hosea lead the national discussion of low back injuries and rib stress fractures which are two of the more common injuries in the sport of crew.

 

I was inspired by Dr. Hosea to pursue a research interest in high ankle sprains and he was a co-author on my article that was one of the leading articles on high ankle sprains in sports. His educational work with the Rutgers-RWJMS as an Assistant Professor, and mentoring orthopaedic residents in training, helped to shape many surgeons over his 30-year career.

 

As an athletic trainer, I always appreciated Dr. Hosea’s bedside manner, interaction with the athletes, jokes, and his compassion. He always had the best interests of the patient at the forefront of any patient discussion. He wasn’t one to cave to coaching pressure to get someone back before they were ready. In this day and age of high profile sports, that is not a real easy thing to do.

 

As a friend, I can thank him for introducing me to my wife. I cherish the discussions, the challenges, the jokes, opportunities, teachings and the support that I received from Tim Hosea. I’ll never forget the Friday night dinners on the road where ‘trainers never buy’, signature Hosea hair flip, the Brooks Brothers look without socks, a distinctive hand gesture, and his hearty laugh.

 

I feel very fortunate to have known and worked with Tim Hosea and I am happy to have had him as a mentor and friend.

Eric Nussbaum
Athletic Trainer

I first met Dr. Hosea in the wee hours of the morning in Switzerland en route to the Barcelona Olympic games in 1992. He was a young volunteer physician and I was a volunteer athletic trainer for the USOC. We hit it off right away and after formalities and a brief meeting, we got down to the business of playing poker all night until the buses came to take him with the men to Germany and me to France with the women. Both teams went to the remote training site in the French Alps first to drop us off and I remember him leaving me with a trunk full of medical equipment and medications. He waved goodbye and said ‘Good luck, do what you gotta do and see you in a few weeks.’

 

So I stayed in in the Alps and took care of the US, Canadian and Danish teams for the next 7 weeks. One Danish rower got very ill so I followed Dr. Hosea’s written instructions to the tee as we only had a ‘crank’ phone with a short amount of talking time. Over time, the Danish rower improved enough to stay. When we met up again later in Germany, Dr. Hosea was quick to praise me on a job well done and jokingly praised himself in the same breath for being so prepared.

 

The bus then headed to Banyoles, Spain with the entire team. I said my good-byes to my physician friend and went off to Barcelona with the tennis team.

 

Many years later, I was working in a physical therapy clinic in Princeton and received a patient from a ‘Dr. Hosea’. I thought, ‘Nahhh… this can’t be the same guy’ – but it was! We reconnected and stayed in touch throughout my tenure in various NJ practices.

 

Then one day, out of the blue, he called me one afternoon and made me an offer I could not refuse. He asked me to consider helping his practice build a state-of-the-art PT facility in their new building. One thing led to another and here I am. I will forever be indebted to this man who believed enough in me to give me the opportunity to contribute what I can to UOA and its future. For that, I can never repay him, but I CAN thank him and promise to play another poker game the next time I see him. Only this time he better not cheat.

Lynn Van Ost, Med, RN, PT, ATC

So what can I possibly say after 5 years of being Dr. Hosea’s assistant? Words cannot express my relationship with him. I learned so much from him.

 

First and foremost is what a great dad and husband he was. How he loved to torment my teenage daughter when he saw her as a patient, calling her a ‘mutant’ because he himself raised 3 teenage girls and felt my pain.

 

That’s the thing about Dr. Hosea, no matter how big of a presence he was, he was down to earth and never forgot to ask you about your family, your plans, your weekend…

 

Whenever he would go away on a trip I would always say, ‘Have a good trip.’ He would always say back ‘You must be happy I’m leaving’–never thinking this day would come this soon. No, Dr. Hosea, I’m not glad you’re gone. I miss you! I miss you shuffling through. I miss you fixing your hair all the time. I miss you rummaging through our drawers for chocolate and your unexpected bantering.

 

Dr. Hosea was so respected by everyone and he had a wealth of knowledge that he was always willing to share with anyone who shadowed him or spoke to him. He spoke to people like he was their equal and never spoke down to anyone, even if I didn’t always understand what he was talking about.

 

So, on that note, it was an honor to work for someone so highly regarded by all his peers and friends. My heart goes out to Libet, Hadley, Kirby, Whitney, and the rest of the Hosea family.

MariaElena DeSousa
Physician’s Administrative Assistant to Dr. Hosea

Over 23 years ago, Dr. Hosea interviewed me for a position at UOA in the insurance department. At the time I had worked for a local physical therapy office and the practice was highly regarded in the central Jersey area. I had heard very good things about Dr. Hosea and that he was a compassionate and solid physician with an ‘old time’ doctor demeanor.

 

Once I was hired I found him to be that and more. He loved his athletes and helping people. He never wanted to say no to a patient. If they requested to see him then somebody better fit that patient in. Even if he had 45 patients scheduled for that day, he didn’t care; he would stay as long as it took to see every single patient. We discussed often that he was the surgeon: he does the surgery, and I collect the money. I don’t mess in his operating room so he should not mess with me collecting the money. On Wednesday of last week, he finally got it and we joked about the whole thing.

 

When I think back I cannot remember an unscrupulous thing about him. It is very surreal with his passing. He will be sorely missed by all whose life he has touched. I know I will miss him.

Joanne Weber Adam, CPC
Compliance, Contract & Systems Manager

It has been an absolute pleasure to have worked alongside Dr. Timothy Hosea. We all knew we had big shoes to fill when Ms. Margaret retired. I had never met Ms. Margaret, and being the new kid on the block, I was told Dr. Hosea was very particular on how he liked his pod to run. The first day I was tasked to work with him I was a bit nervous but ready to take on the task. I mean, he’s a sports medicine guy and I’m an athletic trainer–how bad could I do?

 

After having brought back only one patient he called me into the doctor’s cubby and asked if I had written the HPI he was looking at (I can’t lie; the only thought in my head was ‘Crap, he doesn’t like his nurses to write HPIs’). I answered yes and apologized to him telling him I forgot that he liked to do it his own and I would not do it again. I will never forget the big smile when he told me, ‘Tess, this is a great HPI; whenever you work with me you better be writing them but you’re the only one… so don’t tell the rest of the nurses.’ (with a wink).

 

We started working a lot together after that and he even had called me Margaret a couple of times, and before I knew it my Mondays became Hosea Monday’s and as he used to joke if he put enough money into the pot he could get to work with me on Wednesdays too. I was so very fortunate to have gotten to know Dr. Hosea over the last 2 years and am fortunate to have been able to have so many wonderful memories of him. Dr. Hosea recently paid me the highest honor when he asked me to accompany the US Rowing team as a member of their medical support staff to France for the world championships at the end of August… I’m so sad that I won’t be able to fill him in on the trip when I get back to the office.

 

I will miss Dr. Hosea more than this note can ever convey. UOA has lost a wonderful physician and I have lost an amazing mentor.

Tesse D. Smole, MS, ATC, ACI, CSCS

Too many thoughts over close to fifteen years… but what stands out are the times in the Sports Center and in The Princeton office, where it was more one on one with the physician.

 

I loved working with Dr. Hosea. He was an amazing man and a great doctor. He touched so many lives. You really understand it when you read all the tributes to him from Rutgers, U.S. Rowers and many more. Yet he was so unassuming and humble. My deepest sympathy to his family, he will be greatly missed.

Lorraine Caruso
Front Desk

We were asked to write a story we remember about Dr. Hosea. After 26 years of knowing him, 18 of them working directly with him, I cannot think of one story, but a lifetime of memories.

 

Dr. Hosea was a caring, dedicated physician. His passion for working with athletes no matter what sport was endless. His work with US Rowing took him to many a country. We had a deal where he would bring something back that the country was known for. I have glasses from the Czech Republic, a fan from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and authentic chop sticks from Japan.

 

Dr. Hosea took care of many patients including my family. He recently treated my mom and said to her, ‘I have to call the boss now’ and my phone rang.

 

There is so much that can be said, but the reality is, nothing changes. The sadness that is felt by so many, the emptiness that is left in our hearts remains. The halls of UOA will never be the same. The void that he left won’t soon be filled.

 

Dr. Hosea’s laughter, sense of humor, compassion and that puff he would do to remove that same piece of hair that kept falling out of place will forever be ingrained in my memory.

 

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family.

 

TMH, your spirit will forever live within your UOA family…

Regina Taggert
Manager, Wall officer

I was very fortunate to have gotten to know Dr. Hosea on both a personal and professional level. I first met him when my son became a patient of his for a torn ACL. From the moment I met Dr. Hosea I felt relieved, reassured, and optimistic knowing we chose the best surgeon to fix his torn knee.

 

I later became an employee at UOA and Dr. Hosea was no different… He always was kind and caring. He always had time for you.

 

I am so deeply saddened by his loss. His presence is greatly missed and there is very much of an emptiness without him. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family. He will be deeply missed.

Carla Merker

My first memory of Dr. Hosea was probably about 20 years ago when my mom broke her leg and I drove her to her appointments— at what was UOG at that time—with Dr. Hosea. He took such good care of her and when the opportunity came about to apply for a job here, I couldn’t wait to tell everyone that I was working at University Orthopaedic Association for Dr. Hosea and all the other brilliant docs here.

 

I’ve been with UOA going on 14 years now and have worked in a few different departments. I got to work with Dr. Hosea in many different aspects and, no matter what I was doing for him, he always showed respect and treated me on the same level. I remember every time I assisted him in a clinical aspect he would always say either ‘Oh, I guess you drew the short straw today’ or ‘How come you’re being punished today?’ and I would always joke back and say ‘Absolutely not, I requested to work with you!’, and we would have a laugh. He was who he was and he totally owned it.

 

I had so much admiration and respect for Dr. Hosea. He was such a well-known and respected pillar of the community. I am still in shock and can’t believe that I am speaking of him in the past tense. It still seems surreal to see that his desk is empty and I have to check every time I walk past, thinking he’s going to be there leaning back, hands on the back of his head watching something sports related on the Internet. There will be a large void in the practice and the community. Dr. Hosea has touched so many people’s lives and will be mourned by so many that it seems infinite. I will miss him deeply and send my thoughts and prayers to his family.

Buffy McGinnis
Surgical Precertification Coordinator

My fondest memories of Dr. Hosea always involved him smiling and being his kind, funny self (while grabbing his daily candy). When I first started working here he scared me half to death and then, as time went on, I got to know him better I realized I couldn’t have been further from the truth (in my fear).

 

Dr. Hosea was someone who always cared about what everyone was up to. I remember when I was planning my wedding he would ask me every time I saw him for a new detail or how my last issue was working out, but he never made it seem like he was just trying to be polite; he truly cared, just as he did with each and every patient/staff member or person with whom he came into contact. He was a kind, gentle and caring person who never complained and always answered a ‘How are you today?’’ with ‘Just peachy’ (a memory that puts a smile on my face today and a tear in my eye that we won’t be able to hear that statement again).

 

It is truly a sad day and my heart goes out to his family (whom he spoke about with such love and joy in his voice). We have lost one of the great ones and he will be dearly missed.

Saaby Ross
Physician Administrative Assistant

I first met Dr. Hosea 28 years ago working at St. Peters. After the Rutgers football games on Saturdays, he would bring the injured players though the ER directly to X-ray. I remember his voice down the hallway, ‘Is Helen working?’. He would bring them into the X-ray room and tell me what exam he wanted. I never questioned the paperwork, just did the films and off he went with the copies.

 

Working with him in the operating room was a great learning experience. He taught me a lot about orthopaedics- looking at the X-rays. Books would not touch the knowledge I have from him.

 

Later on I was asked if I wanted to work for University Orthopaedic Associates. I felt honored to work for the practice. I worked with him in the Princeton office, the New Brunswick office and later at the Sports Center, and I continued to learn from him. I remember the first US Rowing T-shirt I received from him. I felt honored and loved to wear it.

 

He always teased me about being a mother of sons. He always said I would keep the boys in line, and laughed as he said it. He was so happy when our boys played football in college- ‘What an experience they will have.’

 

TMH- you were more than my Boss, you were my friend. Thanks for the memories. You will be missed…

Helen Shedlosky
Radiologist

Wow, I can’t believe that I am writing this… but five years ago my twin sister interviewed at UOA for a position she knew wasn’t fitting for her. When I got home from work that night, she said: ‘Laina, I interviewed at this orthopaedic doctor’s office to be a medical secretary. This position is perfect for you, you have to call!’. So I did. I left a very awkward voicemail on Darleen’s answering machine and, much to my surprise, she called me back. I interviewed the following day with Dr. Hosea in the New Brunswick office. His smile was so warm, so welcoming that my interview jitters immediately dissipated. He said, ‘If you’re hired to be my assistant there is basically two things you need to know,’ as he pulled out a micro-schedule of all of his weekly surgeries, meetings, and Rutgers info from his wallet. ‘This is my lifeline, and it has to be perfect’, and ‘Secondly, if anyone calls and asks for a ‘JOSEY, or JOSEAH’ they don’t really know me, so those calls you don’t have to rush’. I laughed hysterically because who knew a man of such incredible esteem could be THAT down to earth.

 

I didn’t have the pleasure of being Dr. Hosea’s assistant but I worked alongside his assistant Maria for over 3 years and was blessed to learn so much more about him. Every time I asked how he was, his response, always pleasant: ‘Just peachy’. Last week Thursday, I was taking my lunch and heard Dr. Hosea in his office making a call to someone from a sports affiliation, and he boasted: ’Well, semi-annually we have a meeting here in my office, in our conference room. I’ll have you come in before that so I can give you a tour of our facility’. I couldn’t help but smile, he was so proud of himself and who we were, and he deserved every bit of that.

 

Dr. Hosea, your presence is greatly missed. You were a great man, a great physician and I am truly happy to have had the pleasure of working for you and UOA. My thoughts and prayers are extended to your family in such a devastating time. Heaven gained an incredible angel.

 

‘When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room.
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little–but not too long
And not with your head bowed low,
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me–but let me go.
For this is a journey that we all must take
And each must go alone.
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.
Miss Me–But Let me Go’

 

Elaina James
Revenue Cycle Manager

To dear Dr. Hosea:

 

You spent your life sharing your gift of knowledge in your chosen field. You repaired broken bones, minds and spirits. Your undeniable quiet strength proved to be the catalyst behind your success as a physician. Your ability to fill any room you walked in with your magnificent presence speaks volumes of the type of physician you were.

 

You mentored, inspired those in doubt and pushed the athletes and medical residents under your supervision to their greatest potential. You exemplified the phrase ‘living a purposeful life.’ It showed in everything you did with precision, humility, sincerity and respect for others.

 

I want to believe that you made both your earthly and your Heavenly Father proud; that your life of service to others was what was ordained for your time on this earth and we’ve all been touched by your very existence. The dedication you had to your patients and your love of family mirrored your true image as a man of substance.

 

So, as the doors of heaven open to receive you I know the good Lord has arms extended to reward you for a job well done.

 

So rest up now Dr. Hosea. It was a pleasure working with you, for you for and just being a part of the team for ten years. Thanks for the inspiration. UOA will certainly miss your presence, your easygoing personality and contagious laughter. Dr. Tim Hosea – scholar, athlete, mentor, husband, father… physician extraordinaire.

 

My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, three daughters and his extended family.

Althea Smith
Medical Records

I have had the honor of working with Dr. Hosea for twenty-two years and am totally shocked by his passing. He was such a wonderful doctor and friend, who loved to tease me when I would have to go to the Princeton office to fill in, asking me what I being punished for that I was sent to work with him. I would tell him: ‘Are you kidding? It’s fun being in a different office, especially with you’.

 

When I would walk up to him to ask him a question he would ask me what did he do now to get him in trouble without even knowing the question. I would get to see him interact with his patients while I was in Princeton and saw the compassion and dedication he had for each and every one of his patients. He would never allow us to turn away any patient that requested to see him no matter what the age or the reason, although he was considered a sports medicine physician. He will be sorely missed.

 

My heartfelt sympathy goes out for his wife, daughters and the rest of his family.

Louise Lovely
Appointment Supervisor

I did not know Dr. Hosea well and, unfortunately, didn’t have occasion to work beside him in my time here. What I do know is he will be missed by all of us. He spoke to everyone with kindness and respect, no matter who we were. He always had a smile and a good morning in the hallway, and he never made any of us feel like we couldn’t approach him with a question or a patient concern.

 

He took the time to educate us when we had a question or a willingness to learn, and he never made anyone feel foolish for not knowing something. He had a smile that lit up a room and a contagious laugh.

 

He was larger than life, and struck me as a humble and good man. The memories of others, the tributes to his life and his selfless contributions to medicine serve to remind each of us that kindness and compassion still matter to those on the receiving end.

 

I am truly sorry for this loss and my thoughts and prayers are with the Hosea family.

Marie Romano

Dr. Hosea was remarkable when he walked through the door into his patient room. He enjoyed the young athletic kids and he would begin by saying “Hey squirt – how are you doing?” Sometimes he would mimic the kid and say “Thank you Dr. Hosea. You did a good job.”

 

All the young adults adored him. They really did. They knew that his surgical skill made such a difference in their life and in their future. He was a true healer.

 

It was a pleasure watching him nurture broken bodies and dreams.

Tricia Seuffert, MS, APN