Minneapolis dermatologist Al Zelickson dies at 91

Over his 50-year career, Dr. Alvin Zelickson, known for pioneering the use of the electron microscope to study the skin, won many honors for his research on dermatology and skin cancer.

But it was the Minnesota doctor's care for his patients that they valued most, recalled close friend and co-worker Terry Rivard. At those 20-minute appointments, Zelickson would get to know each one of his thousands of clients, keeping up with not only the health of their skin, but also their personal lives. Some patients referred their children or grandchildren to Zelickson's offices, now called Zel Skin and Laser Specialists.

"He was such a good diagnostician; he could come up with solutions very quickly," Rivard said. "He was able to connect with his patients, so they felt they were special even though they didn't have a long time with him."

Zelickson died May 30 at the age of 91.

Born and raised in Minnesota, he graduated from Minneapolis' North High School and went on to obtain his bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Minnesota.

From 1957 to 1959, he served as a lieutenant in the Navy and as a doctor at Parris Island Marine Base in Beaufort, S.C. Then he completed his residency in dermatology at the University of Minnesota, later becoming a professor and clinical instructor at the university.

While working at a research lab there, Zelickson became one of the first people to look at skin through an electron microscope, which was new in the 1960s, said his son Dr. Brian Zelickson.

At his medical practice, Zelickson would treat skin conditions ranging from acne and warts to cancer. Brian Zelickson also became a dermatologist and recently added cosmetology as an office specialty.

"He really did enjoy the people he saw. That was a big part of it for him," Brian Zelickson said. "A lot of people can't wait to retire, but if you're lucky enough and like what you do, it's the opposite."

Zelickson's greatest fear was missing something during examinations, said his wife, Sue Zelickson, who is well-known in her own right as a food writer and philanthropist.

"He would follow up on people if he thought they weren't doing what they said they were doing, and now Brian does the same thing," she said. "They're the kind of doctors you want to have."

Outside the office, friends and family went to Zelickson with more than just their dermatology problems.

The two met early in life and were best friends, but it wasn't until Al left Minnesota for an internship at Kings County Hospital Center in New York City that their relationship got serious.

"He started writing about all the girls he was taking out, and I thought maybe I should go out and take a look," she said. "See if he was more than just a friend."

The two started dating, and Zelickson wrote to her every day he was in New York. They married in August 1956.

"He had a long, long life and a good one," she said. "He … loved everyone he met."

In addition to his wife and son Brian, Zelickson is survived by another son, Barry Zelickson; a sister, Baylee Gordon; a brother, Elliot Wolson, and four grandchildren.