Mary Engle, 86, Founded Cardiac Unit at N.Y.-Presbyterian

Mary Engle, who established the division of pediatric cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, died at home at age 86, the hospital announced yesterday.

Engle, who died after battling cancer, was a medical pioneer, serving for 30 years as the first director of pediatric cardiology at what is now known as NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She was instrumental in creating the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, which was later named in her honor.

While a student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she took part in the renowned "blue baby" operation in 1944, the first to repair a type of defect that restricted blood from reaching a child's lungs and turned the infant's skin bluish. The operation prompted Engle to become a pediatric cardiologist.

Engle also helped establish pediatric cardiology as the first subspecialty section within the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1957. She is credited with many research breakthroughs involving pediatric heart defects.

She was also a medical ambassador, traveling to China as part of a team of eight cardiologists in 1977.