Associate Professor Hillel Tuvia Goodman (1933–2025)

3 April 1933–11 November 2025

Hillel Tuvia Goodman, born on 3 April 1933, lived a life defined by curiosity, service, and an unwavering commitment to teaching. After obtaining his MBChB at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1955, he embarked on the first of two full and remarkable medical careers. As a general practitioner in Port Elizabeth, in part working alongside Solly Benatar, he built a reputation for clinical skill, compassion, and dedication to his community. In 1978, he earned both the MFGP from the College of Medicine of South Africa and the M Prax Med from the University of Pretoria, further cementing his standing as a thoughtful and progressive clinician.

Hillel’s second career began when he pursued specialist training in diagnostic radiology, obtaining the FFRad(D) SA in 1982 and the FRCR (London) in 1984. In 1985, he joined the radiology department at Groote Schuur Hospital, where he served with distinction until his retirement in 1999. Even after retirement, he continued to give generously of his time through sessions, voluntary work, and teaching, right up to 2019.

Those who worked with Hillel remember him for his cheerful disposition, insatiable curiosity, and the weight of clinical wisdom he brought from his years as a general practitioner. Teaching was both his passion and his gift. Each year, he coordinated and delivered an exceptional month-long introductory course for new radiology registrars, a rite of passage for generations of trainees. At the heart of his teaching was the humble chest radiograph, which he believed, correctly, remained the foundation of radiological practice. His ability to uncover subtle nuances, link them to clinical context, and challenge trainees to think deeply left an indelible mark on all who learned from him. Many will recall the quiet pressure of the early-morning Thursday chest meetings – driven not by fear, but by the desire not to disappoint him.

Hillel championed disciplined, literature-driven learning, insisting we engage with masters such as Heitzman and Meyers and grounding our interpretation in radiologic–pathologic correlation. As custodian of the departmental teaching film library, he took great joy in curating chest radiographs and, later, high-resolution CT examples that shaped the understanding of countless young radiologists.

His career spanned transformative decades in imaging – from bronchograms to CT, MRI, and the dawn of PET-CT. He embraced each advance with characteristic rigour and curiosity. He had a particular interest in perceptual phenomena such as the Mach effect, the evolving nomenclature of the Fleischner Society, and the complexities of interstitial lung disease. His expertise extended across chest oncology, occupational lung disease, “hut lung”, tuberculosis, trauma, pancreatitis, bone radiology, DVTs, and more – always integrated with meaningful clinical collaboration. His contributions during clinico-radiological meetings became a model of scholarly yet humble engagement.

His appointment as associate professor recognised, among other achievements, his thorough work on fine-needle aspiration biopsies and his authoritative role in high-resolution CT imaging.

Beyond medicine, Hillel loved the natural beauty of the Cape, especially hiking in the mountains and visiting Colonel Bird’s Bath in Kirstenbosch. He carried a deep and enduring love for his wife, Mercy, whose passing he felt profoundly.

Hillel will be remembered for his integrity, his generosity of spirit, his devotion to teaching, and the enduring legacy he leaves in South African radiology. His influence lives on in the countless clinicians he trained, the colleagues he inspired, and the patients who benefited from his thoughtful, meticulous approach to medicine.

Thank you, Hillel, for a life lived with purpose, warmth, and unwavering dedication.

Sulaiman Moosa, Qonita Said-Hartley, Steve Beningfield