It is with great sadness that we share the news that retired Army Colonel (Dr.) Norman M. Rich, Professor Emeritus and one of the founding figures of the SAVS passed away on June 18, 2026, at the age of 92. His lifetime achievements were too numerous to count. He established the Vietnam Vascular Registry, which became the model for modern military outcomes databases and trauma registries, helping physicians study injury patterns, refine treatments, and save lives on battlefields around the world. He also founded the Walter Reed Vascular Fellowship Program and was president of several major vascular societies. Among his many honors were the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Presidential Medallion presented by President Ronald Reagan, the Society for Vascular Surgery Lifetime Achievement Award, the Michael E. DeBakey Award, the René Leriche Award, the Founders Award of the American Venous Four, and ultimately was designated as an “Icon of Surgery”. As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life of extraordinary purpose and impact. Dr. Rich leaves behind a legacy measured not only in surgical innovations, academic achievements, and professional honors, but also in the countless lives saved by those he taught, the institution he helped build, and the generations of military medical professionals who continue to follow the example he set.