Frank “Rue” Tamru
“You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.”
- Michael Jordan
I entered the world in August 1944, the son of Italian-American parents, Fred and Josephine, who raised my siblings and me in a quiet suburb of Camden, New Jersey. My father, a World War II veteran, labored long days with his hands, and my mother, a seamstress, stitched long hours with hers. She dreamed I might be the first in her family to attend college, and I did, graduating from Rutgers University as a wily liberal arts student, more devoted to fraternity shenanigans than to law or medicine.
As part of my enrollment in the US Army’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), I was sent to South Korea instead of South Vietnam. That stroke of good luck may have spared my life. The awareness of it never left me as I carried it across continents, an unseen companion, reminding me how narrow the line can be between survival and loss.
I came of age through that foreign military service and later the grit of surviving New York City life. A chance opportunity in the heart valve industry elevated my professional status, first in Manhattan, then in Southern California, and eventually across the Pacific. Australia opened the door to Asia for me, and Asia to a vivid transformation. Amid crowded city streets and hospital corridors, I found more than work; I found purpose.
In Hawaii, I co-founded a publication that brought voices in cardiac care together across Asia. Those years—rich with ambition, loss, and renewal—became a turning point in my life and work, a prismatic journey whose echoes remain.
I ultimately returned to my South Jersey home and remarried, but when my second wife died, something deep within me shifted: a sense of positivity first stirred by the good life we shared and the example she set. As a doctor who brought newborns into the world, she cared for her patients with devotion, guided not by money but by a sense of meaning. I had spent decades chasing opportunities across continents, but her absence compelled me to live differently: less for the attainment of goods, more for truth-telling and charity.
Like Tennyson’s Ulysses, I felt the urgency not to “rust unburnished,” but to keep shining in use.
Writing Power became part of that response. For nearly five years, I peeled back layers of memory—pursuits and setbacks, triumphs and grief—in ways no other venture ever demanded. It remains my most personal and profound undertaking, and the one I feel most compelled to share.
Today, I remain devoted to giving back by supporting healthcare and community initiatives. I find joy in photographing nature, in following Philly sports, and in remembering my dear wife through the stories and images that keep her near.
I hope these pages carry you with me—through time, ambition, and the search for meaning—and remind you that true strength lies not in holding on, but in letting go, daring exposure, and returning wiser and open to what’s next.
“To know others is intelligence; to know yourself is true wisdom.
To master others is strength; to master yourself is true power.”
—Lao Tzu
Philanthropy
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlantic & Cape May Counties
Having been a Big Brother myself in 1979 in New York, the organization holds a special place in my heart. Upon my return from Asia, I served as a board member in Atlantic County, New Jersey. To this day, I support their mentoring efforts by helping the group raise funds.
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Victor Chang Foundation
I got to know Dr. Victor Chang well during my years in Asia. Today, his daughter, Vanessa Chang, runs the foundation he created to sponsor young Asian cardiac surgeons to undergo clinical training at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. Her dedication to the project is admirable.
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Shore Medical Center
My late wife, Dr. Robin Carter, was an OB-GYN physician for over 15 years at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, New Jersey. She loved delivering babies, which lifted her spirits in even the most trying of times, health-wise. She inspired me to pen my memoir before passing away in 2014. As you see, I’ve finally gotten around to it.
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Doctors Without Borders
In support of their mission to provide healthcare to those in need across the world, I continue to recognize the good work they do. I first discovered their efforts in 1980 in Afghanistan during my initial assignment to the Far East.
Published Editorials
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Sept. 11 2001— What Does it Mean to you Five Years Later?
THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY
The 9/11 attacks became a catalyst for my return to the U.S. after working and living in Asia for decades. What began as a day of tragedy sparked a deep reflection on identity, safety, and belonging.
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I Love Newspapers — You Can’t Swat a Fly with a Computer
THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY
In the age of digital news, I make a passionate case for the irreplaceable charm of printed newspapers. From swatting flies to savoring the morning ritual, I argue that no screen can replicate the tactile experience.
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Please - Clean Up Ocean Heights
THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY
A resident calls on local officials to address the blight along Ocean Heights Avenue, where abandoned trailers and rundown buildings tarnish the community’s image. Citing safety concerns and visual decay, the letter urges property owners to demolish dilapidated structures and restore the area’s appeal.
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N.J. Pride Shines, Cares Vanish with Victory
THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY
In a rare moment of unity and joy, Rutgers University’s football victory becomes a powerful escape from the turmoil of the Iraq War. The win not only lifts school spirit but also brings pride to New Jersey residents, offering a brief but meaningful reprieve from global anxieties. As fans celebrate and old friends reunite, even political and sectarian worries are momentarily forgotten.
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25 Words or Less
THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY
A local voice answers the question: What should the new Democratically controlled Congress do first to address the economy?
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Camden Courier-Post Sports Headline, 1993!
CAMDEN COURIER - POST
While attending a cardiac surgery congress in San Francisco, I called my hometown newspaper to see if I could receive updates on the Phillies. Despite living in Singapore, I wanted to follow them closely. After speaking to the Sports Editor, Bob Brookover, this headline, “Tamru would follow Phillies to Far East,” broadcast my intentions and caused my mom to share it with every member of the family.
“From Haleakala to the Far East, my Philly pride never left me.”
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In June 1984, I resigned from a sales management position in Belgium after almost 8 years with Shiley. When relocating to Hawaii with my wife, Jackie, I had ready access to USA sports news. I even got to play softball with neighbors, as in my youth, no more scores by Telegram or the IHT newspaper. The thrill of being back in America lifted my spirits. Climbing to the top of Haleakala on the island of Maui, I wore my prized Phillie’s hat.
