July 19, 2007 Harvey E. Duchin

Word comes from his wife, Joan, of the death of our classmate, Harvey E. Duchin, M.D., of uveal melanoma on July 19, 2007. In a sad milestone, Harvey's passing is the 100th to date of members of our class.

Harvey notably delivered 8,000 babies in his career as an obstetrician and gynecologist, invented a device used to treat women for incontinence, had medical practices for two years in the U.S. Army including service in Vietnam, for 23 years in Philadelphia and, finally, for 16 years in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and taught in two medical schools, the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson University.

Eulogizing him, at services at Temple Beth Israel in Plattsburgh, his wife said, in part, "All of you here today are aware of the kind, generous and warm person Harvey was. The warmth you saw carried into his personal life as well as his professional. One of our first dates was the.movie, "Born on the Fourth of July." I noticed him weeping during the emotional scenes. This told me a lot about him. I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this sensitive person. His compassion was evident throughout the years we spent together."

Harvey came to Dartmouth from his high school in West Orange, N.J. His roommate during two of his years in Hanover, Joe Mandel, remembers him as "a big,  man, perhaps 6'2." With powerful forearms and upper body, he threw the hammer on the Dartmouth track team and was a member of the TEP fraternity.

After graduation, he attended the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry, served his internship at Pennsylvania Hospital and did his residency at Temple University.

He was a founder of the American Urogynecology Society, and a trustee of Mountain Lake PBS, the Richard Murphy, M.D. Foundation, the Clinton County Historical Assn., and his temple. He enjoyed sailing, travel and automobiles.

Harvey is survived by a son, Marc, three daughters, Lisa Dunlop, Gina Rickert and Alita Desso and their husbands, six grandchildren, his brother, Joel and his father-in-law, Bernard Amell. Charitable donations in his memory may be made to Mountain Lake PBS, the Clinton County Historical Assn. or Temple Beth Israel.

Ken Reich