Beloved Long Island surgeon being remembered as 'smooth operator' with his musical serenades
Dr. Peter Sultan died after collapsing during the Jamesport Triathlon
RIVERHEAD, Long Island (WABC) -- A beloved orthopedic surgeon on Long Island who suddenly collapsed and died during a triathlon this weekend, is being remembered - not just for his skills in the operating room - but for his musical serenades between procedures.
"We would always say that medicine cures the body, but it's the music that heals the soul," Jerome Lewis said.
Dr. Peter Sultan was kind of known as a "smooth operator."
"Whether they were going to have surgery with him in a couple of months, whether they just had surgery with him or they were thinking about having surgery with him, they thought this man was a rock star," Lewis said.
The sounds of his piano in collaboration with his musical partner Jerome Lewis, echoed throughout Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead for years. The orthopedic surgeon made sure every surgery ended on a high note.
"It made him so happy, one, that he could change people's lives physically, but to touch their hearts in a different way through what he loved to do," Lewis said.
The halls of the hospital are now a little quieter.
Northwell Health says the renowned surgeon died after suffering a medical episode during the Jamesport Triathlon on Sunday, a race he competed in every year.
Race Awesome, which produces the event, put out a statement saying in part, "while he did receive quick medical attention on the course from another one of our athletes (who is also a doctor), Dr. Sultan did, unfortunately, pass away."
"My heart is broken... I am devastated," Lewis said.
Lewis started the lunchtime jams with Dr. Sultan about six years ago.
"He would come down in between procedures and just, you know, take along the keys or whatever," Lewis said. "And I kind of kept my eye on them. He had no idea that I was a singer until one time we had a hospital event and they asked me to sing."
"Next day he came to me. He was like, 'you know, Lean On Me?' I was like, 'what you know about Lean On Me, sir?' And we sang it. And ever since then, we created this musical partnership and it's such a beautiful thing," Lewis said.
Lewis, who has a musical background, was working as a security guard at the hospital at the time he met Dr Sultan. He says the surgeon even changed his life.
"He was like an angel that was sent to me that reignited my passion for music again," Lewis said. "And he would always remind me, music is not something you do, it's who you are."
Northwell Health put out a statement saying in part, "Dr. Sultan was not only a skilled and trusted member of the medical community, but also a mentor, colleague, and friend to many... his legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched throughout his distinguished career."
"But the power that music can connect us. I will forever have that. And although I am sad, yes, I can't express how grateful I am to be able to have experienced him," Lewis said. "This human being, in this lifetime, during this time. What a gift."
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
