Illinois Medicine

Pliny Norcross '37, MD '41, of Amherst, Mass., died May 5, 2009. The son, grandson and great-grandson of physicians, Norcross specialized in diabetes. In 1950 he moved to West Springfield, Mass., where he began a 23-year internal medicine private practice. As a beloved physician with a longtime affiliation with Springfield Hospital, he watched the practice of medicine move from house calls and personable office visits to HMOs, voice mail and computers. Norcross was a founding physician of Medical West in Chicopee, Mass. Retired since 1973, he spoiled his dogs and loved to travel with his wife. Joseph M. Robbins, MD '41, Res '62, of Beverly Hills, Calif., died July 18, 2008. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Belfast from 1941 to 1945. After 20 years in general practice, Robbins specialized in ophthalmology and practiced in Los An- geles for 40 years. He served as chief of staff at Midway Hospital and was on staff at Cedars-Sinai. After "retirement" he worked for the state of California evaluating Medicare claims. Having put himself through medical school by leading his own band, he recently had returned to music, playing clarinet in the Emeritus Community Band. Theodore C. Zeman '40, MD '41, of Sacramento, Calif., died March 31, 2009. After serving as a U.S. Army battalion surgeon, Zeman practiced ophthalmology in Sacramento, Calif., from 1951 to 1975, followed by posi- tions with Mercy Hospital as chief of professional services and the state of California as a medical consultant. He was an associate professor of ophthal- mology at UC Davis and a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmol- ogy and the International and American College of Surgeons. He was past president of Temple B'nai Israel. '42 Robert J. Brennan, MD '42, JD '55, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., died Jan. 11, 2009. Born in Chicago of Irish decent, he paid his way through medical school playing cards, rolling cigars, donating blood and working in a steel mill. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in December 1941. He then earned his degree in internal medicine as well as a law degree. He was instrumental in forming the board certification of Doctors for Allergy, Immunology and Internal Medicine. While serving as chief of medicine at Holy Cross Hospital, he was the recipient of many awards, including ones from the ACA, ACAI, AACIA and FMA for his dedication and outstanding service. Robert Kaplan, MD '42, of Jack- sonville, Fla., died April 12, 2009. A Chicago native, he entered the U.S. Army as a medical officer. He served in Germany in the immediate post- war period assessing the nutritional status of prisoners of war and German citizens. Upon returning to Chicago, Kaplan completed training in pediat- rics, and in 1949 he began his medical practice in Rock Island, which lasted 46 years. In 1995, he retired and moved to Jacksonville. He is survived by his son, Joseph Kaplan, MD '74, a consul- tant at Mayo Clinic. John S. Roane, MD '42, of Moline, died Oct. 22, 2008. Roane served in the U.S. Army as a medical doctor dur- ing World War II. A urologist, he retired in 1984 as a partner of the Urology Group, Moline. His patients remem- bered him for his compassionate care and dedication. Roane was a member of the Rock Island County Medical Society and American Legion Post 246, Moline. Paul J. Schmidt, MD '42, of Palos Park, died July 6, 2009. in the western suburbs for more than 40 years. '43 '44 '46 Robert F. Thorpe '42, MD '44, of Fresno, Calif., died Aug. 18, 2009. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II. Thorpe co-founded the Manitowoc Clinic in 1950 and practiced pediatrics there until his retirement in 1985. He was a member of the Manitowoc Opti- mist Club and enjoyed golf. Richard H. Hart '44, MD '46, of Sarasota, Fla., died July 27, 2008. In 1953, Hart started his general surgery practice Phyllis M. Orland '39, MD '43, of Forest Park, died July 1, 2009. She was a dedicated and caring pediatrician in Akron, Ohio, retiring after 35 years. He was a member of the American College of Surgeons, AMA, Ohio State and Summit County medical societies, F.A. Coller Surgical Society and Sigma Chi. He was chief of staff at Akron City (Summa) Hospital from 1974 to 1975. A pioneer in bariatric surgery, it was rewarding to him that he lived to see surgical intervention as a widely ac- cepted treatment for obesity. '47 William R. Bertelsen '45, MD '47, of Rock Island, died July 16, 2009. After serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Bertelsen was in general practice in Neponset from 1948 to 1963 and on staff at Kewanee Public Hospital. He later practiced medicine in Rock Island. He served as medical director of the Model Cities Neighborhood Health Cen- ter in Rock Island and medical director of Moline Public Hospital's Trauma Cen- ter. In 1985, he founded the Immediate Care Center for Moline Public Hospital. He was honored by the Rock Island County Medical Society in 2004 for a lifetime of service to the community. He was a world pioneer in the development of air cushion vehicles and invented the Aeromobile in 1958, which is credited as the first hovercraft to carry a human over land and water: Early models are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He also originated the Arcopter concept for vertical takeoff aircraft. His 32 domestic and international patents include the Aeroplow and the Aeroduct System of Mass Transportation. Robert C. Weiss '45, MD '47, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., died Nov. 15, 2008. His early career in pediatrics led him to the Los Angeles County Health Department in 1960, heading maternal and child health. He then served as director of child health disability preven- tion, with much involvement in youth clinics, sudden infant death syndrome, seatbelt safety and other aspects of children's public health. In retirement Weiss began doctoring at Marineland until it closed, followed by service to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and California Whale Watch. '48 Raymond Yow '46, MD '48, of Sarasota, Fla., died Nov. 30, 2009. A retired Salisbury, Md., physician and insurance company executive, Yow was the first urological surgeon to establish a prac- tice in Salisbury, opening his office in 1955. He served on the board of trust- ees of Peninsula General Hospital and as its medical staff president and chief of surgery. In 1975 Yow was appointed to the founding board of Medical Mutual Liability Insurance Society of Maryland by then-Gov. Marvin Mandel. In 1996, he retired as chairman of the board and CEO. He retired from medical practice in 1987. An Army veteran of World War II, he also served in the U.S. Navy as a medical officer from 1949 to 1951. '50 William E. Deutsch '48, MD '50, Res '53, of Evanston, died July 16, 2009. Robert P. Johnson Jr. '43, MD '50, of Santa Rosa, Calif., died June 11, 2009. Johnson practiced in Middletown, Ohio, specializing in OB/GYN and later taught at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine. He was past president of the Illinois State Medical Society, a longtime member of Kiwanis and active in Boy Scouts of America. Johnson was also a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII. Harold M. Schoolman '44, '48, MD '50, of Washington, D.C., died Aug. 17, 2009. He served during World War II and saw combat in the Pacific. From 1960 to 1967, he was chief of the biostatistical research support center at the Illinois VA Hospital and then settled in the Washington area to work for the VA as director of education service. Schoolman joined the National Library of Medicine in 1970 and helped expand the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and the Unified Medical Lan- guage System. He also did research on intellectual property in the health field. He retired in 1999. '51 Molly P. Coulter, MD, Res '51, of Pitts- ford, N.Y., died March 22, 2008. She worked at the Manhattan Project and Planned Parenthood and later joined the full-time faculty of the University of Rochester's medical school and the staff of the Jordan Health Cen- ter in 1969. The following year she was named medical director, a position she held for the next 16 years. Robert James Maganini '50, MD '52, of Glen Ellyn, died March 4, 2010. I L L INOI S MEDICINE | 49

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