Maxwell Stepanuk Jr., orthopedic surgeon, former PCOM professor, and Temple track star, has died at 78
He became a surgeon after suffering knee injuries in college and undergoing his own operations. He practiced in the Philadelphia area for nearly 50 years and won awards for his scientific writing.
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Maxwell Stepanuk Jr., 78, of Wyndmoor, orthopedic surgeon, former associate professor and division director at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Temple University track star, writer, and bonsai enthusiast, died Thursday, May 18, of heart failure at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Dr. Stepanuk practiced orthopedics in and near Philadelphia for nearly five decades. He was a surgeon at Parkview Hospital in Juniata from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s and continued to see patients at offices in Elkins Park and Wyndmoor until recently.
He worked at PCOM from 1990 to 2015 and, as director of residency for the Orthopedic Surgery Division, oversaw the educational program for 14 residents at seven hospitals. He published papers about injuries to ankles, hips, and hands in popular medical journals, wrote peer reviews for medical boards, and won awards for his educational scientific writing.
He served as an injury evaluator in court cases and was also affiliated with Einstein Medical Center, MossRehab, and Abington Memorial Hospital. He was active with the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, and earned a 1993 fellowship from the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics.
He was, a friend said in an online tribute, “admired by many for his kindness, professionalism and true caring for others.” Another friend called him a “mentor, and the best of gentlemen.”
Dr. Stepanuk was also a track star at Central High School and captain of the 1966 Temple team that captured the school’s first Mid-Atlantic Conference men’s championship. He won the 120-yard high hurdles at the 1965 Mid-Atlantic championships and ran distance races and did jumps.
It was injuries to his knees at Temple and subsequent surgery that piqued Dr. Stepanuk’s interest in orthopedics, and he went on to graduate from PCOM in 1971. He was popular and an “example of honor, selflessness, courage, and persistence for all of us,” a former Temple teammate said. Another former teammate said it was “always ‘us’ and never ‘me’ with Max.”
Dr. Stepanuk earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Temple in 1966 and was interested in geology, nature, art, and gardening. He studied with bonsai expert Chase Rosade in New Hope for years and tended to his own collection of trees.
He liked to meet up with friends at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and his family said his attraction to bonsai was likely the convergence of his talents as a surgeon, gardener, and artist. “He was always eager to share his passion with others,” said his sister, Karen Koran.
Born Jan. 5, 1945, in Philadelphia, Dr. Stepanuk was the eldest of four children. He grew up in Fairmount and left Philadelphia for five years to complete his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery in 1976 at Martin Place Hospital in Detroit.
He married Anna Manarola, and they had daughter Natalie and son Max. After a divorce, he married Sandra Waller in 1989, and they had daughter Julia and lived in Wyndmoor. His former wife died earlier.
Dr. Stepanuk served as council president at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church and founded its Fishing Ministry that gathered for decades on the water near Barnegat Light. He and his wife tilled many gardens together, went to movies and the theater, and traveled often to favorite getaways in Maine and elsewhere.
He had season tickets to the Phillies for 40 years and liked to cook, paint, fish, and read. He was, his sister said, “a kind, nurturing, and caring brother, and a wonderful role model to many.”
His wife said: “He was quiet, funny, and kind. He lived life and didn’t sweat the small stuff. Everyone said he was a lovely man.”
In addition to his wife, children, and sister, Dr. Stepanuk is survived by four grandchildren, two brothers, and other relatives.
Visitation with the family is to be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 3, at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, 411 Susquehanna Rd., Ambler, Pa. 19002. A memorial service is to follow.
Donations in his name may be made to the Advanced Heart Failure Program at Jefferson, Office of Institutional Advancement, 125 S. 9th St., Suite 600, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107; Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, 411 Susquehanna Rd., Ambler, Pa. 19002; and the University of Pennsylvania Amyloidosis Program, Penn Cardiology, Attn. Vanessa Plummer, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, 51 N. 39th St., 4th Floor Heart and Vascular Pavilion, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104.