Dr. Rainer Engel is my Hometown Hero. He is not unrecognized by the AUA (he was awarded the William P. Didusch Art and History Award in 1996 and made an honorary member in 2006), but it is not his many contributions as curator of the William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History that make him a hero to me. Nor is it his interesting life (his bio can be found here) or his work as a urologist, though that certainly underlies his heroism. Dr. Engel is my hero and role model because of his passion for life, confusing and complicated as it can be...he greets it with a huge grin and a steady hand. He knows it will be all right. He is my hero because he loves his family fiercely...and his family stretches from Florida to California and into every European country. If EVER an AUA staff member (no matter how new) has a urological issue or a relative with a urological problem, Dr. Engel offers his ear, his concern, his advice, and a phone call referral to "one of the younger guys." We are his family, and he has taught me that we are all family. There is no greater lesson.

Nobody makes friends like Dr. Engel. He builds relationships and guards the bridges. Once I was angry at a mistake in the directions to the museum on the website (that caused my daughter to get lost and yell at me). When I wanted to go down to the department I believed was responsible for the mistaken information, he asked me to let him talk to the staff instead. He came back five minutes later and said it was all taken care of. He kept me from blowing up my own bridges. He has my back. I learned how to treat my friends from him; it is a lesson that rewards me daily.

He and I argue 7/10ths of the time we are together. But Dr. Engel listens and, even if it takes time, we always come to some compromise that pleases us both. His open-mindedness and willingness to hear other people are heroic qualities. He can be flexible. When we make mistakes (and let's face it, there are always mistakes), he taught me to learn from those opportunities, do the best I can, and move on. We made a mistake in our Women Healer's exhibit; he put masking tape over the incorrect information, wrote an apology on it, and enjoyed the Annual Meeting. He showed me that mistakes are opportunities to learn more...another lesson I value.

Those of us who know and love Dr. Engel secretly believe that all the things we love about him, he learned from Dorothy. He would be the first to say that she is the Hometown Hero who makes him the hero that he is. I am fortunate to know them both.

A donation in the name of Rainer and Dorothy Engel has been made to the William P. Didusch Center for Urologic History.

This picture was taken by AUA Senior Graphic Designer, Jennifer Kennedy, who also loves the Engels prodigiously...which shows.