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Rasa, who gave much of his life to helping others, passed away at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood last Thursday surrounded by his wife, Diane, son Michael and daughter Nicole, as well as close relatives and personal friends. He was 68.
Well known beyond the township of Wayne, where he’d lived, the Paterson native served his community.
“He was a great doctor and most caring human being my family and I have met,” wrote Rania Baladi in one of many online tributes.
“The world was a better place with you in it,” Terri Sukel added.
Rasa was active with the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, the Wayne Police Department and the Wayne Board of Education, launched the Annual Breast Cancer Walk in Wayne and was chairman of the Annual Golf Sports Classic Outing, which raised funds for the St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital Foundation.
He was graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson in 1968 and from Rutgers University in 1974. He earned his degree in Pharmacy from Rutgers and went on to study medicine at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara Mexico, earning his medical degree in 1981.
Rasa was certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and was a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the NJ Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association.
St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital Foundation honored him in 2008 as “Distinguished Physician of the Year”.
Rasa built a loyal medical practice and was active in Wayne’s football and lacrosse programs. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed skiing, golfing, fishing, and spending time with his family and friends.
Loved one said he enjoyed life to the fullest.
“He would escape with his family and close friends to his home in Ludlow, VT,” Rasa’s obituary says. “They would spend the entire day skiing on the slopes of Okemo Mountain. After a full day of activities, you could find him in the hot tub - regardless of the outside temperatures - with a glass of B&B and a big smile.”
Rasa’s name is synonymous with High Mountain Health, which made his death a terrible blow.
“It has been a very difficult five days since the passing of our founder Dr David V. Rasa,” a statement released Wednesday afternoon by High Mountain Health says. “The outpouring of condolences from his family and friends but most especially his patients was overwhelming.
“Dr Rasa developed our core values of [t]rusting and [c]aring in [f]amily [c]are at the High Mountain Health Medical Group. We will continue to provide the excellent comprehensive healthcare in Passaic, Bergen and Morris counties for individuals and families, from children to adults of all ages.
“While our hearts are heavy with sorrow at this time we believe the best way to honor Dr. Rasa’s memory is to continue to serve his patients who were more than just a patient to him and us.”
Rasa is survived by his wife, three children -- Michael, a senior at Wayne Hills High School who will be attending Manhattan College in September to play lacrosse; Nicole, a family medicine resident at Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine (and her fiancé Joe); and daughter Davina, a graduate of Ohio Northern University School of Law, as well as his Uncle Harry and Aunt Gloria, three sisters, Jean, Sharon and Georgia, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
The family requested that donations be made in Dr. Rasa’s memory to the David Vincent Rasa, M.D., RPh Healthcare Scholarship Fund for a Wayne, NJ high school senior who is planning a career in healthcare. MAIL TO: David V Rasa MD RPh Healthcare Scholarship Fund, PO Box 398, Ridgewood, NJ 07451.
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