PAVESE, Richard Francis (Dr.)

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ by Ofelia Madrid - Nov. 5, 2010 Daily walk turns tragic for noted Valley Doctor Dr. Richard Francis Pavese "Elizabeth and Richard Pavese started every morning with a kiss. When Elizabeth would come down to the kitchen, Richard would have half a grapefruit ready and a cup of coffee already poured. Elizabeth would hold the lunch bag as Richard put in the leftovers container from the night before. "Even though they worked together, Richard a top Valley plastic surgeon and Elizabeth a nurse, they drove separate vehicles to the office. "We always said 'I love you' when we left, because we knew something could happen at any time," Elizabeth Pavese said. That something happened Tuesday, when Richard Pavese was killed while out for an early evening walk near his home. Elizabeth saw a crash down the hill from their Paradise Valley home, which had closed off a portion of Invergordon Road. It forced Elizabeth to take a different route. When Elizabeth got home and Richard wasn't there, she pieced together the puzzle. Richard was taking his daily walk. Elizabeth usually accompanied him, but not Tuesday. A BMW was traveling northbound on Invergordon Road around 5:45 p.m. when the vehicle crossed the center lane, struck a Lincoln Town Car, then struck Richard, killing him, Paradise Valley police said. Police are still investigating the collision. Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears as she described the man she called her best friend. "We were attached at the hip," she said. A second marriage for both of them, Elizabeth said Pavese would tell her he felt like she was his childhood sweetheart. "We knew to respect every day we had together," Elizabeth said. Professionally, Pavese, 62, was at the top of his game. Phoenix Magazine consistently named him in its "Top Doc" annual listings. He was board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Dr. Bruce Yee, an anesthesiologist who worked with Pavese, said watching him in surgery was like watching a "super maestro. He was just astounding." Richard leaves behind his wife and two adult children. A celebration of life is Monday 5 to 8 p.m. at Messinger Mortuary, 7601 E. Indian School Road. A funeral mass is 10 a.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 3801 N. Miller Road".