Darryl Varda, 1968

Darryl retired in 2013 after nearly four decades as a neurologist in Grand Rapids, Mich. He maintained a private practice for 30 years, then affiliated with Saint Mary’s Health Care in Grand Rapids, where he was section chief of neurology and played a key role in developing a rapid response program for stroke victims.

He received his M.D. degree from the University of Iowa in 1972 and later served in the Navy at Portsmouth (Va.) Naval Hospital.

Darryl grew up in Mt. Morris, Ill. At Cornell, he majored in biology with a minor in chemistry. He played football and basketball and was named the basketball team’s most valuable player his senior year. “Athletics played a big part of my Cornell experience,” Darryl wrote. “But academics were always important, so the combination required that I develop good time- management skills. Sports also provided friendships that have lasted a lifetime

“Lifelong learning is a necessity in medicine. Cornell stimulated this constant search to go one step farther when investigating a topic. When someone’s health is at stake, the motivation is magnified.”

Darryl and his wife, Jane, live in Ada, Mich. They have three children and seven grandchildren.