HOUSTON -- Monday was a somber day for family, friends and colleagues of one of Houston's most influential pediatricians, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Dr. Ralph Feigin was a pediatrician who colleagues said made a lasting impression on the world of health and the care of children.

Hundreds streamed into Congregation Beth Israel in southwest Houston for his funeral.

Some in attendance were past students who will never forget "Feigin Rounds." They said it gave them a glimpse at how a great physician's mind works.

"The residents would do a case presentation to him and he would work through it," said Dr. Bill Craigen, a colleague at Texas Children's Hospital. "He would come up with a specific diagnosis. It just spoke to his depth of knowledge."

"His bedside manner and his energy, from a young physician learning his trade ... his energy was infectious," said Dr. Anthony Olive, one of Feigin's former students.

Feigin received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1962 and completed his pediatric internship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He then spent two years completing a research assignment with the United States Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Maryland.

By the 1970s, Feigin made his way to Houston and eventually became the chief of Texas Children's Hospital and chairman of the department of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.

His 31-year tenure touched countless lives.

"For me, personally, he trained me as he did for many of the pediatricians in town," Olive said. "He's just so greatly admired."

"He has an incredible knowledge base that nobody could really match, " added Craigen.

Feigin is not only known for his one-of-a-kind patient care, but is also known for his contribution to medical research.

Feigin was an internationally renowned expert in pediatric infectious diseases and had more than 500 published articles or chapters in journals and books.

He leaves behind his wife, Judith, their three children, six grandchildren and a legacy on pediatric medicine that extends far beyond Houston.

He trained more than 2,000 pediatricians and pediatric specialists. Two of those went on to become medical school deans and nearly 200 of them became section heads of pediatrics.

Gifts in Feigin's memory may be made to the Ralph D. Feigin Memorial Fund.