Terry M. German, 72, obstetrician
Terry M. German, 72, of Upper Gwynedd, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Albert Einstein Medical Center for 35 years, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome Monday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Terry M. German, 72, of Upper Gwynedd, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Albert Einstein Medical Center for 35 years, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome Monday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. German delivered more than 3,000 babies, taught at Temple University School of Medicine, was medical director for Blue Cross, wrote clever lyrics and acted in plays and, for years, organized an enormous Seder dinner for more than 170 family members.
The first night of Passover was special for Dr. German and generations of relatives. After the family became too big to fit in anyone's dining room, they gathered at Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Elkins Park each year for the Seder. The reunion was started in 1921 by Dr. German's grandparents, who had fled czarist Russia in 1912.
"I remember Seders when I was very young, sitting on the steps with two of my cousins inside my Aunt Goldie's house in Logan listening to my uncles lead the service," said Dr. German in a 1983 Inquirer interview.
"In those days . . . each child got the chance to ask the Four Questions alone," he said, referring to a portion of the Seder traditionally recited by the youngest participant.
After graduating in 1953 from Central High School, Dr. German earned a degree in premed in 1955 from Ursinus College and a medical degree in 1960 from Thomas Jefferson University.
Dr. German married Barbara Winitz in 1958, and they raised two daughters in Elkins Park.
Dr. German was drafted into the Air Force as a captain in the medical corps during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, Calif., until being discharged in 1963.
"When my father was ill and in the hospital, he was thrilled to live long enough to see Obama and the Phillies win," said his daughter Mimi. "He was a huge fan of Philadelphia sports."
In addition to his wife and daughter, Dr. German is survived by another daughter, Julie German Evert, a grandson, a sister, and a brother.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. today at Goldsteins' Rosenberg's Raphael-Sacks, 6410 N. Broad St. Burial will be in Har Jehuda Cemetery in Lansdowne. Shiva will be observed through Sunday. Donations may be made to the Breast Cancer Action Group of Albert Einstein Medical Center, Office of Development, 5501 Old York Rd., Philadelphia 19141.