In Memory of
Ervin Varga (1925 - 2018)
by Samuel Gershon
I am indeed sorry to hear of Ervin Varga’sdeath and sorry that I had not seen him for many years.
I met with him a number of times when I was at NYU. John Mann and I were involved in several studies with Deprenyl and Selegeline and discussed these with Ervin. He was very knowledgeable and contributed to our understanding of them. Also, he always struck me as standing out, because he seemed to intentionally not want to be noticed. He as a gentle person.However, Barry Blackwell’s biography of Ervin is dramatically effective in describing a most horrible period during which he experienced horrible things and yet continued on his path toward a medical education and a career in psychiatry. I hope his time in retirement was a rewarding period with the success of his 2 sons.
Just a comment on Nate Kline:for all his oddities, he was a good, kind person. He wrote me in Australia before I came to the US and offered help to me whenever he could. He even invited me to join his elegant private practice, but it was just too good for me….