From Stuart Hall to surgical wing

Colleagues for months in the department of otolaryngology at the University of Missouri, the Flyer connection between surgeons Gregory Renner ’73 and Patrick Tassone ’09 was made with spirit wear.

“I was wearing some UD apparel and Greg asked me about it. It was a great surprise to learn he had also graduated from Dayton, and the questions about where we'd lived, what we'd studied and how recently we'd been back started coming,” Tassone said. “It was definitely a ‘small world’ moment, and the fact that we both lived in Stuart Hall was even better.”

While separated by several decades, their Stuart Hall experiences were remarkably similar — right down to recklessly sledding down the infamous hill.

“As we have shared our experiences, we find that little has really changed between the years that I spent there and when he was there,” Renner, ’73 said. “For both of us, Stuart Hall was a great place to meet a wide range of people and enjoy our early UD experience.” 

“For both of us, Stuart Hall was a great place to meet a wide range of people and enjoy our early UD experience.” 

Tassone wholeheartedly agrees.

“Stuart was a friendly introduction to college life, and many of my closest friends are other Flyers who lived on 5 Meyer that year,” he said. “I had a random roommate freshman year (Joe Riley '09), and we both ended up being groomsmen in each other's weddings.” 

While their paths to the University differed greatly, they shared a passion for helping others long before they stepped foot on campus. Renner, an Illinois native, had even contemplated the priesthood before shifting gears to medicine.

“As it had been my earlier intention to help other people as a priest, I felt that being a physician would offer a somewhat similar ability to help other people and continue this sense of purpose to my future work,” he said.

Tassone, a Cincinnati native, had a personal reason for choosing a career in medicine.

“My main motivation was my mom being treated for bone cancer during my freshman year of high school,” he said. “She is now 22 years cancer free. I admired the expertise of her treating physicians and wanted to become an expert in patient care myself.”

Renner joined the full-time staff in otolaryngology head and neck surgery in July of 1981 where he has specialized in head and neck surgical oncology and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. While he retired from full-time practice in 2012, he continues to work as a professor emeritus.

“As Pat and several other younger surgeons have joined our staff, I have continued a more limited practice in head and neck cancer care and intend to continue this for at least several more years,” Renner said. “It is truly remarkable how much has changed and advanced in the field of head and neck surgical oncology in the time that I have practiced it.” 

Tassone, who joined the staff in 2019, has training in microvascular surgery which allows for advanced tissue reconstruction for complicated cancer and trauma cases. 

“There have been multiple times that we coordinated our surgical skills to respond to special patient needs,” Renner said of his fellow Flyer.  “There is still experience that I have that offers options that many newer surgeons have not seen or become familiar with.” 

Tassone appreciates the back-and-forth collaboration with Renner.

“Greg's presence as an expert in central Missouri is well-known, so he has strong relationships with many referring providers around the state and region,” Tassone said. “When he sees someone that might have a more extensive cancer, or one that requires advanced reconstructive techniques in which I am trained, I will often provide surgical care for that patient. For my part, I can rely on Greg's expertise and experience in many areas, but especially in lip reconstruction. He's a world expert on lip reconstruction, and he often gives his opinion for how to best reconstruct the areas around the lips or has taken on particularly challenging problems himself for my patients.”

And while they are many miles from UD’s campus, their Flyer connection is one they both cherish.

“It’s nice to have a fellow Flyer in our department,” Renner said. 

From sharing stories of their UD experiences to supporting the Flyers basketball team, they have a bond that spans from Ohio to Missouri.

“The shared experience of having gone to UD offers an instant connection, and we have often reminisced about our time at Dayton,” Tassone said. “We share stories about dorms, student neighborhoods, and our studies. We are both proud to be Flyers.”