Dr. Colum A. Gorman, 90, admired physician and distinguished researcher, passed away on November 11th, 2026 at Charter House in Rochester, MN. Born in Mayobridge, Northern Ireland to John and Mary Gorman, he was the youngest of their nine children. His family was an integral part of the community where they ran the local grocery store, pub, post office and funeral service. Dr. Gorman was educated at Queen’s University in Belfast and after a brief fellowship in Chicago, joined the Mayo Clinic medical staff at the age of 26. He would serve the institution for the next fifty years of his professional life with honor, distinction, and gratitude. In his final decade, he faced Parkinson’s Disease with characteristic courage and grace, sustained throughout by the unwavering love and presence of his wife, Una.
During his fifty-year career at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Gorman became one of the foremost endocrinologists of his generation. His particular specialty was Thyroid Disease, but his contributions to medicine extended well beyond patient care. He played an early but important role transitioning Mayo from traditional paper records into the digital world of electronic medical records. This transformation allowed he and his colleagues to create Mayo’s Diabetes Electronic Medical Record (DEMR) improving care for countless patients. He also authored over 100 scientific papers which advanced the field.
He was Division Chair of Mayo’s Department of Endocrinology when it was named “Best in the Nation” and was elected to serve on Mayo’s Board of Governors. He cared deeply about education and was twice named “Teacher of the Year” by Mayo Medical School. He also served two terms as president of the American Thyroid Association and was honored by the Dutch Government with the Order of the Orange-Nassau, an award bestowed on individuals “who have rendered longstanding and important service to society.” When both President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush developed overactive thyroids, the President’s team of physicians chose Dr. Gorman and Mayo to assist in their care based on his national reputation and extensive experience treating thyroid disease.
Even after retiring from clinical practice, his commitment to Mayo never wavered — he continued serving through Mayo’s Office of Development, helping secure philanthropic support to fund the next generation of medical discovery and innovation.
Yet for all his professional distinction, those who knew Dr. Gorman found a man of deep humility who treated each patient the same regardless of their status in the world. He loved to share his lifelong passion for poetry and literature and was kind to everyone who crossed his path. He gave generously of himself — not only as a physician, but as a friend and colleague. He had a wide-ranging intellect and loved engaging in conversations with anyone who could enhance his understanding of an idea or share one of their favorite poems or stories.
His own list of favorite poets included Seamus Heaney, Robert Service and especially Alfred, Lord Tennyson whose famous passage from Ulysses he never tired of reciting: (“I am a part of all that I have met; /Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough /Gleams that untraveled world, whose margin fades/ For ever and forever when I move).”
He was also a cherished member of the Rochester Irish community and he and Una threw many wonderful parties to welcome new arrivals to Mayo and to keep the Irish spirit alive and well for their friends and family.
Dr. Gorman is survived by his beloved wife, Una, and their four children and their spouses: Paul (Terry), Kevin (Dagmar), Fiona (Dan), and Michael (Elizabeth), along with nine grandchildren: Grace and Ellen, Cooper, Killian and Kellyn, and Claire, Audrey, David and John. The last of nine children, Colum was preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Sean, Maureen, Phil, Patsy, Seamus, Celine, Peg, and Pauline.
A memorial celebration will be held at 11am at the Charter House Chapel in Rochester on December 5th. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Mayo Clinic benefitting Parkinson’s Research. Thank you for keeping him alive in your thoughts and memories. May he rest in peace.
Memories and condolences of Dr. Gorman may be shared at rochestercremationservicesmn.com
