In Memoriam: Paul Dee, MD

Written by Spencer Gay, MD, Paul Suratt, MD, and Elizabeth Dee, MD

It’s with great sadness that the University of Virginia’s Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging announces the passing of former faculty member Paul M. Dee, MD, who died in June 2026. A beloved colleague and mentor, Dr. Dee’s presence and impact are still very much felt today.

Paul M. Dee, MD, was born November 15, 1935, in Stockton-on-Tees, England. He attended the University of Durham Medical School (now the University of Newcastle Medical School), earning honors in physiology, medicine, and surgery, and was awarded the Phillipson Scholarship as the top student on final examinations. He completed extensive postgraduate training, including an internship, a one-year residency in Internal Medicine, and a year as an instructor in Anatomy. He completed his radiology residency training at the Newcastle Royal Infirmary, Ulleval Hospital in Oslo, Norway, and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

After serving as Associate Professor at Haukeland Hospital in Bergen, Norway and St. George’s Hospital in London, Dr. Dee was recruited to the University of Virginia in 1974 by UVA Radiology Department Chair Ted Keats, MD. At UVA, he rose through the academic ranks to Professor in 1982. From 1974 to 1983, he served as Vice Chair of the Department of Radiology, where he played a key role in building the department by recruiting several radiologists from Scandinavia and Great Britain. A prolific author and dedicated mentor to students and residents, he co-wrote the definitive textbook on Radiology of the Chest, Imaging of Diseases of the Chest, with Peter Armstrong and A.G. Wilson in 1990, followed by a second edition in 1995. Highly respected as a chest radiologist, he established formal daily Radiology Rounds with the MICU, SICU, and other clinical services.

Dr. Dee was known for his honest, plainspoken manner, his diagnostic acumen and his sound clinical advice.  With his extensive knowledge of medicine, anatomy, and radiology, and his quick intelligence, he had an uncanny ability to distill a case or problem to its core — a gift one colleague described as being able to “see around corners.” He led the weekly Teaching File conference for years, personally curating the thousands of cases archived by UVA residents — many of which were later digitized and remain part of the department’s teaching collection today.

His extraordinary contributions to resident education are honored through the Paul M. Dee Teaching Award, which he first received in 2000 and which has been presented annually ever since. Selected by resident vote, the award is inscribed: “Paul M. Dee Award – Distinguished Radiologist and Peerless Teacher – presented annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to resident teaching.”

Members of the department are truly fortunate to have known such a remarkable man, whose influence continues to resonate through generations of UVA Radiology alumni in Charlottesville and at practices around the country.

Dr. Dee was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen Jane Dee. He is survived by his children, Catherine Dee, Stephen Dee, Elizabeth Dee, MD, and Bridget Dee.

Click here to read more about Dr. Dee’s life and legacy.