Dr. John M. “Ace” Passmore, Jr. passed away peacefully on January 17, 2024 after a valiant battle with autoimmune encephalitis, leaving behind a legacy of love and magic. Ace was born in Columbus, Georgia to June and Johnny Passmore, followed shortly by his beloved sister Diane. He was valedictorian at Columbus High, where he earned the nickname “Ace” due to his uncanny ability with card magic. Ace attended Davidson College where he met his best friend Bill Bailey and their legendary pranks became part of local lore. In 1969 he married Donna Olney, “the most beautiful and wonderful girl in the universe!” Ace attended Vanderbilt Medical School. To make ends meet, Ace and Donna developed a magic act, performing regularly in nightclubs and on TV. Their love of magic and creating wonder became a lifelong passion.
Ace and Donna moved to Indianapolis for his residency, had four amazing children, and then moved to Houston to complete a fellowship in cardiology before entering private practice at Memorial Hermann SW. He served as Chairman of Cardiology and spent decades as a dedicated Cardiology Professor, earning many teaching awards and inspiring thousands of future doctors. In 2012, Ace moved his practice to Methodist Sugar Land where he helped develop their Cardiac Center, retiring in 2017.
Ace was the most magical dad and grandpa around. He was a celebrated pianist, and visiting the Passmores often included a singalong and a magic show. His album Piano Prestidigitations continues to bring joy to his family and friends. Ace also wrote several award-winning screenplays, earning membership in the Writers Guild of America. Christmas and the spirit of giving were especially important to him, and his novel Red Stocking Society was published in 2018, sharing his philosophy of altruism, love and wonder.
Ace is survived by his wife Donna, children Starr (Chad), Jackie (Howie), Skye (Adam), and Grant(Barbara), grandchildren Ellory, Juniper, Ines, Ondine, Lucie, and Azure, sister Diane Munden (Ron), dear brothers- and sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews, who all love Uncle Bubba’s magic shows, piano concerts, and zest for life. The family would like to thank all of the caregivers at Methodist, Memorial Hermann, the Amazing Place, and Silverado Memory Care & Hospice for their compassionate care. After living a wonderful life, his message to family and friends is: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his honor to the Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance https://aealliance.org/ or to The Amazing Place https://www.amazingplacehouston.org/donate/.
The Passmore family will host a celebration of life on Sunday, April 14 at Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire, from 3 to 6 PM.