Jose Madalengoitia Querzola

Jose Santos Madalengoitia Querzola passed away peacefully at home on March 7, 2026 leaving behind a legacy of dedication to his family and his work as a doctor. He cared for, provided help, support, and love to his five sisters, Isabel, Juanita, Eugenia, Edelmira and Magdalena. He was the last survivor of six siblings. Jose was born on February 7, 1924 in Cajamarca, Peru to Dr. Jose Madalengoitia and Juana Querzola. He studied medicine at the University of San Marcos in Lima. On a fellowship from American Cyanamide Corporation to study virology at the University of Minnesota, he met the love of his life, Diane Cobb. They married in Lima, Peru March 9, 1963 and they raised their family in Lima. Jose worked at the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the Institute of Public Health and he would go off on virus hunting expeditions whenever breakouts occurred in the country collecting mosquito and bird samples to identify the virus behind the outbreak. In December 1976, the family moved to Richmond, Virgina for Jose to do a fellowship in pathology at the Medical College of Virginia. In 1981 he was hired as a pathologist at Alleghany Regional Hospital where he enjoyed practicing pathology until his retirement in 1993. The place he lived the longest was the Alleghany highlands, integrating into the local community. He is survived by his wife of 63 years Diane Cobb de Madalengoitia, his daughter, Susan Terry, D.D.S (Catawba, VA and her husband, James Terry), his son Jose Madalengoitia Ph.D. (South Burlington, VT and his wife Chris Holmes, M.D. Ph.D.) and two grandchildren Lea Madalengoitia and Eva Madalengoitia. He also had a large extended family of aunts and uncles, cousins, and nieces and nephews that were always a cherished part of his life and a tie to his beloved hometown of Cajamarca.