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Retired Assistant Professor of
Physical Therapy Passes Away
ST.
LOUIS -- Cheryl Cavallo, Ph.D., assistant professor emerita of physical therapy
at Saint Louis University, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 24, after a valiant
battle with breast cancer. She was 66.
"Cheryl
saw her profession as a gift, but it was a gift because she could serve other
people," said Darina Sargeant, Ph.D., associate professor of physical
therapy at SLU, and one of Cavallo's closest friends.
"She was doing
‘patient-centered' care before it became a popular approach. She instilled that
commitment to her patients in her co-workers and in every student she taught.
She was always making you push yourself harder, and embodied the best of SLU as
a woman for others."
A passionate
Billiken basketball fan, Cavallo received her undergraduate, master's and
doctorate degrees from Saint Louis University and was a member of the faculty
for 32 years, retiring in 2011. During her tenure, she received multiple awards
for teaching and service, including the prestigious Nancy McNeir Ring award,
which is the University's highest award for teaching excellence; the 2011 Doisy
College of Health Sciences Alumni Merit Award; and 2011 Saint Louis University
Woman of Achievement Award.
She kept a photo
that captured a surprise birthday visit from Billiken basketball great Anthony
Bonner on her desk, and, surrounded by family, smiled as the Billikens
triumphed over Butler on Friday.
"Cheryl was
the biggest Billiken fan who walked the face of the earth," said Ann
Hayes, DPT, a long-time colleague and associate professor of physical therapy
at SLU.
She also was a
tough educator with a soft spot who set high standards and motivated her
students to strive for excellence, Hayes added.
"She always
had the time for students -- for anyone. Nothing ever took too long," she
said. "You respected her and didn't want to disappoint her."
Cavallo touched the
lives of hundreds of physical therapy students -- engaging them in the
classroom and in clinical settings and inviting them to join her at health
fairs and continuing education programs. She would meet with students at a time
that they found convenient -- at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m. -- to offer extra mentoring
and help.
Mark Reinking,
Ph.D., chair of the department of physical therapy and athletic training,
remembers Cavallo proctoring students before their practice board exams and
final exams and encouraging them to sing Christmas carols as a way of calming
themselves down.
Cavallo served on
multiple University committees and task forces on academic integrity, student
conduct, civility in the classroom and sexual assault. She was the faculty
advisor of the Physical Therapy Student Council, instrumental in developing the
tutoring program for the SLU medical campus and an early and fervent supporter
of the Reinert Center for Teaching Excellence.
"There are
students who graduated 20 years ago -- some from cities outside the St. Louis
area, such as Chicago and Indianapolis -- who came to the hospital to sit with
her, to be with her," Sargeant said.
"I'm getting
email after email from her former students, grieving her loss and sharing the
impact she had on their lives," Reinking added. "It was never about
her. It was always about others."
Cavallo also was
passionate about giving back to the community. She recruited colleagues and
students to help at the National Wheelchair Games when they were held in St.
Louis and provided pro bono physical therapy services for patients in the
metropolitan St. Louis area and in Haiti and El Salvador. Both directly and
through the students she prepared as physical therapists, Cavallo reached
patients too numerous to count.
Humble and
determined to put others first, Cavallo taught by example, kneeling down to be
at the same level as patients so she could look them directly in the eye, Hayes
remembered.
"She had a
servant's heart and was so committed to others," Reinking said.
Cavallo is survived
by her lifelong partner A.J. Dunn; brother Larry (Gail) Cavallo; sister Terry
Cavallo; niece Caroline Cavallo; and nephew Skyler Cavallo.
A memorial Mass
will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 2 at Saint Francis Xavier College
Church, 3628 Lindell Blvd., at Saint Louis University. A memorial service and
the burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday, March 4 at SS Simon & Jude Parish,
304 N. Macoupin, in Gillespie, Ill. Arrangements are handled by Kravanya Funeral
Home in Gillespie.
Gifts in Cheryl
Cavallo's memory may be made in support of the mission of the Physical Therapy
program at Saint Louis University and will be used for purposes reflecting
Cheryl's passion and lifetime commitment to the education of her students and
their preparation in the Jesuit tradition to become men and women for others. Donors may make direct gifts payable to Saint Louis University to:
Cheryl L. Cavallo Memorial FundSaint Louis University
DuBourg Hall 319
221 N Grand Blvd.St. Louis, MO 63103
