Page 43 - Delaware Medical Journal - May/June 2019
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JOHN F. GEHRET, MD
Dr. John F. Gehret of Wilmington passed away peacefully at home on March 14 after several years of
declining health. It was perhaps the only thing John ever did peacefully. Outgoing and often exuberant, John was born in from Wilmington Friends School, where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball, he went on to Williams College, where he avidly pursued his true passion, golf. John had started playing at age 10 United States Junior Championship. When he graduated from Williams in 1955, he was captain of the golf team.
Returning to the Delaware Valley, John entered the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1956. That same year, he married high school classmate Amanda Spackman. It was a great year for John, as he also won the Delaware Amateur Golf Championship. John and Amanda death in 1991. They raised four children Andrew Gehret, Margaret Gehret Erskine,
whom followed their parents’ path through Wilmington Friends School.
After completing medical school and residency at Penn, John returned to Wilmington and entered into practice with his father Andrew. Their practice brought thousands of new Delawareans into the world. Private practice was when Captain Gehret entered the Air Force. Stationed at Stewart Air Force in Tennessee, John again showed his prowess in golf, winning two Base Championships and picking the pockets of higher brass thanks to his skill on the links. Following his time in the service, John returned to private practice, where he remained for the rest of his career. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he was serving as Vice Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Christiana Care Health System.
As a physician, John was the picture
of competence, always dedicated to providing the best care for his patients, and his patients were devoted to him. Often a bit gruff, he nevertheless had an infectious twinkle in his eye and the size of his heart was unquestioned. He spent long hours with expectant mothers, and they knew they were in good hands thanks to his skill, experience, and judgment. from an excellent technician and skillful surgeon, and typically recovered quickly after their procedures.
In his role as colleague and mentor, life was never dull around John. Always quick with a story and with a sharp
and often boisterous sense of humor,
he was often the center of attention in
the doctors’ lounge. His brother-in-law Marvin Andersen, MD was often the foil for John’s quips. Residents at his side were sometimes told, “That’s wrong. You
it. Now, Uncle Marvin might not tell you, but I’m gonna teach you something!” And the residents who learned from him and experience. John was a demanding teacher, but demanded more from himself than from others. Some residents were put off by his demeanor and shied away from scrubbing with him. The more discerning residents realized the value of his tutelage and absorbed all they could from his expertise. I’ll never forget the feeling I had as a Senior Resident when and said, “Boy, I’m not gonna give you any more of these cases. You’re gonna be better at it than I am.”
After retirement, John spent a good deal of time in the Dominican Republic, not surprisingly playing a lot of golf, but also donating time and material to the care
of Dominican women. He had married longtime friend Barbara Sezna Myers after Amanda’s death and the couple enjoyed 26 years of marriage. John and Barbara still attended professional gatherings until John’s health began
to decline. In addition to Barbara,
John leaves behind his four children, a brother, a sister, two stepchildren, 11 grandchildren, and countless friends. Our community is diminished by the loss of the sound of his words, his contagious laugh, and our personal images of John Gehret with us everywhere we go.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
■ GORDON J. (MICKEY) OSTRUM, JR., MD is the Delaware Section Chair for ACOG and Vice Chair, Department of OB/GYN at Christiana Health Care System. Dr. Gehret was a senior attending when Dr. Ostrum was a resident, serving as a mentor, colleague, and friend.
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