Bert K.B. Lum's Obituary
Dr. Bert K.B. Lum of Honolulu, Professor Emeritus at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), passed away peacefully on January 14, 2026, at the age of 96.
Born to Hong Lin Lum and Wan Ying (Wong) Lum, Bert was the second youngest of nine children and grew up in Honolulu’s Palama and Makiki neighborhoods. He attended Likelike, Ka‘ahumana, and Maryknoll schools before graduating from St. Louis College (now St. Louis High School) with the Class of 1947. After studying for one year at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, he continued his education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, earning both a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology. He later received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas. His outstanding academic achievements earned him membership in several prestigious national honor societies, including Phi Lambda Upsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, Rho Chi, and Alpha Omega Alpha.
Dr. Lum devoted his life to academic medicine, education, and research. While still a medical student, he joined the faculty of the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He later served as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Marquette University Medical School, now the Medical College of Wisconsin.
In 1969, Bert returned home to Hawai‘i with his family to join the newly established John A. Burns School of Medicine as Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology. As one of the early pioneers in the medical school’s development, he played a vital role in shaping its curriculum and academic programs. Upon his retirement 30 years later, he held the distinction of being the longest-serving department chair in the school’s history.
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Lum balanced administration, teaching, research, and community service with unwavering dedication. He taught pharmacology to medical, undergraduate, nursing, and dental hygiene students, while also mentoring graduate students and serving as a thesis advisor to many. Deeply respected by his students, he received the JABSOM Teacher of the Year Award on multiple occasions, an honor determined by votes from second-year medical students.
His research focused primarily on cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system pharmacology, and over the course of his career he authored or co-authored numerous scientific publications, conference presentations, and monographs on drug effects and therapeutic uses.
Dr. Lum was an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, and the Association of Medical School Pharmacology Chairs. He also served as Counselor and later President of the Western Pharmacology Society.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Bert found great joy in family, travel, and lifelong interests. He loved traveling with his whole family across the US and later with his wife, Annie, throughout Europe and Asia. He especially enjoyed trips to Alaska to fish for halibut, though he said that eating halibut was the enjoyable part, opining that catching halibut was about as much as fun as reeling in a sheet of plywood. A devoted sports fan, he faithfully followed the Green Bay Packers for decades and enthusiastically supported University of Hawai‘i football and volleyball. He also enjoyed cooking, genealogy, and working on his computer.
Dr. Lum will be remembered for his intellect, humility, dedication to education, devotion to family, and the lasting impact he made on generations of students, colleagues, and friends.
Bert was preceded in death by his parents Hong Lin and Wan Ying Lum, his beloved wife of seventy years, Annie, siblings Charles Lum, William Lum, Kenneth Lum, Minnie Lum, Mable Chang, son-in-law Louis Cerny (Elena Cerny), and daughter-in-law Mary Deeley (Danielle Lum). He is survived by his siblings Carl Lum, Marian Chun, and Melanie Jakahi, children Caryn Lum (David Gee), Danielle Lum, Elena Cerny, Franklin Lum (Judiana), grandchildren, Daniel Gee, (Jacqueline Chu), Robert Gee, Katharine Lum (Charles Ciaccio), Annie Lum (Daniel Waters), Jacob Cerny (Jamie), Maxwell Cerny, Carolyn Lum, Kimberly Lum, and seven great-grandchildren.
Burial was conducted privately in February at Diamond Head Cemetery. A memorial service will be held on June 27, 2026, at 10:30 am at Newman Center, Holy Spirit Parish on the UH Manoa Campus, 1941 East-West Rd, Honolulu, HI.
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