Claudia “CJ” Kubinski lived fully and courageously with cancer for 20 years under the treatment of Tapas Das Gupta, MD. In 1986, Dr. Das Gupta diagnosed Claudia with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that originates in the bone. During the ensuing years, she underwent seven major surgeries, including amputation of her left arm in 1884, intensive chemotherapy treatments htat required 12 hospital stays and three rounds of radiation treatment. After recovering from each procedure, Claudia resumed her life as it had been before, raising her two children. She continued to be a loving and caring mother and wife. Even after the amputation of her arm, Claudia was still able to perform household tasks, both in and outside of their home. Along with her husband, Larry, and her family, she enjoyed summer weekends at their Lake Michigan home and was involved with the development of the outdoor Celebration Community Beach Church in Florida.

Her ability to remain optimistic and steadfast refusal to indulge in self-pity was an inspiration to all that knew her. This fortitude as well as Dr. Das Gupta’s treatment sustained her, enabling Claudia to see both her daughter Kristin and son Brian be married and the birth of three of her four grandsons before her passing in August of 2006 at the age of 56. In gratitude to Dr. Das Gupta for the time his compassionate care provided Claudia, her husband Larry and their children have made a gift to establish the Claudia “CJ” Kubinski and Tapas Das Gupta, MD Professorship in Surgical Oncology.