Who Is Jack Kevorkian? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born on May 26, 1928, Jack Kevorkian, also known as "Dr. Death," was an American pathologist and euthanasia activist who came to prominence in the 1990s for his controversial methods of assisted dying. Kevorkian's approach sparked significant national debate and controversy, which ultimately positioned him as a pivotal figure in discussions around euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Kevorkian passed away on June 3, 2011, at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy that continues to impact the debate on end-of-life choices.
| Occupation | Physicians |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | May 26, 1928 |
| Age | 83 Years |
| Birth Place | Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 3 June, 2011 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Popularity
Jack Kevorkian's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Though specific details about Jack Kevorkian's height and weight are not widely documented, historical records suggest he stood at approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall. His health fluctuated during his later years due to various medical conditions, which often influenced his public appearances and engagements.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Jack Kevorkian was known to keep his personal life relatively private. Throughout his life, he was married to his wife, Mildred Kevorkian, and they had a strained relationship, which ended in divorce. Post-divorce, there is little publicly available information regarding his dating life or any long-term relationships. As of 2025, any discussions about his dating relationships remain purely speculative, given his passing in 2011.
His father left Ottoman Armenia and made his way to Pontiac in 1912, where he found work at an automobile foundry. Satenig fled the Armenian genocide of 1915, finding refuge with relatives in Paris and eventually reuniting with her brother in Pontiac.
Levon and Satenig met through the Armenian community in their city, where they married and began their family. The couple had a daughter, Margaret, in 1926, followed by son Murad, and their third and last child, Flora.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Jack Kevorkian's net worth was estimated to be around $100,000 to $1 million. Although his legal issues and controversies impacted his financial status, his contributions to the conversation about assisted suicide made him a notable figure in the medical and ethical communities.
Career, Business and Investments
Jack Kevorkian's career as a pathologist was marked by his groundbreaking and often controversial efforts to advocate for euthanasia. He invented a device known as the "Mercitron," which allowed patients to administer a lethal dose of medication themselves. His involvement in assisted suicides led to numerous legal battles, culminating in a conviction for second-degree murder in 1999. Kevorkian served 8 years in prison before being released in 2007.
In 2015, posthumously, his work continued to inspire documentaries, articles, and debates surrounding euthanasia, thus solidifying his influence in this contentious area of medicine and ethics.
Senior doctors at the University of Michigan, Kevorkian's employer, opposed his proposal, and Kevorkian chose to leave the university rather than stop advocating his ideas. Ultimately, he gained little support for his plan. He returned to the idea of using death-row inmates for medical purposes after the Supreme Court's 1976 decision in Gregg v.
Georgia reinstituted the death penalty. He advocated harvesting the organs from inmates after the death penalty was carried out for transplant into sick patients, but he failed to gain the cooperation of prison officials.
Social Network
Although Jack Kevorkian was not prominently involved in social media during his lifetime, since his passing, various fan pages, and discussion groups dedicated to his life and work have emerged across platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These communities engage in conversations based on his methodologies, his life's work, and ongoing debates about euthanasia and patient rights.
In a 2015 Retro Report story about Kevorkian's legacy and the Right to Die movement, journalist Jack Lessenberry said Kevorkian "got a national debate going, which I think he then helped stifle by his own outrageous actions".
Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan, said that Kevorkian "was a major historical figure in modern medicine". The Catholic Church in Detroit said Kevorkian left behind a "deadly legacy" that denied scores of people their right to "dignified, natural" deaths.
Philip Nitschke, founder and director of right-to-die organization Exit International, said that Kevorkian "moved the debate forward in ways the rest of us can only imagine. He started at a time when it was hardly talked about and got people thinking about the issue. He paid one hell of a price, and that is one of the hallmarks of true heroism."
Education
Jack Kevorkian graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, earning his M.D. degree in 1952. His education and extensive training in pathology laid the groundwork for his later controversial career. He was also known to have cultivated a keen interest in philosophy and art, which enriched his perspectives on life and death.
In 1998, Kevorkian was arrested and tried for his role in the voluntary euthanasia of a man named Thomas Youk who had Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS. He was convicted of second-degree murder and served eight years of a 10-to-25-year prison sentence.
He was released on parole on June 1, 2007, on condition he would not offer advice about, participate in, or be present at the act of any type of euthanasia to any other person, nor that he promote or talk about the procedure of assisted suicide.
