Dr. Macey Herschel Rosenthal
Dr. Macey Herschel Rosenthal, 80, of Lynchburg, died at his home Monday,
July 29, 2002 after a long illness. He was the husband of Lila Abrash
Rosenthal, originally of Paterson, NJ. They were wed June 10, 1945, in New
York City and recently celebrated their 57th anniversary.
Dr. Rosenthal was born December 5, 1921, in Lynchburg, the son of the late
Simon Herschel and Bettye Greenberg Rosenthal. He attended E. C. Glass
High School, Lynchburg College, Washington and Lee University, and the University
of Virginia Medical School. He specialized in urologic surgery at the
Johns Hopkins Institute, and served in the U. S. Navy in Okinawa during World
War II. Upon his return, he completed his internship in pathology at
Duke University Medical Hospital, and surgical residencies at Beth Israel
Hospital in Boston, the Mayo Clinic, and Medical College of Virginia.
Returning to Lynchburg, he joined his father in private practice, where,
on the staffs of the Lynchburg General and the Virginia Baptist hospitals,
he practiced until his retirement in 1986. He then declared he was
moving "from the operating table to the bridge table". During his career,
he taught at the Baptist Hospital School of Nursing, and he often expressed
particularly high regard for the nursing profession.
Macey was a passionate bridge player and earned his Life Master in duplicate
bridge. He was an active member and former president of the Lynchburg
duplicate bridge club. He belonged to the Rotary Club; the Lynchburg
Academy of Medicine, in which he was proud of his involvement in its desegregation;
a member of the American Urologic Association; and a board member of Agudath
Sholom Synagogue, of which his grandfather, Moses Rosenthal, was a founder.
Macey was a car buff from whom many sought advice, and he enjoyed staying
on top of computers, telecommunications, and other technologies in his retirement.
His sense of humor cracked people up in the best and the worst of times.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons: Dr. Macey H. Rosenthal,
Jr. of Berkeley, CA; Stephen D. Rosenthal and his wife Cindy of Richmond;
two daughters: Nancy B. Rosenthal and her husband James B. Nevin of New York,
NY; Sally N. Rosenthal of Palo Alto, CA; one granddaughter: Courtney B. Rosenthal
of Richmond; and a sister: Ceevah R. Blatman of Hanover, NH; and a host of
devoted friends he considered family.
The family will receive friends and condolensces at Tharp Funeral Home (434-237-9424,
www.tharpfuneralhome.com) from 5:30-7:00 p.m. today. A funeral service
will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, August 1, 2002 at Agudath Sholom
Synagogue with Rabbi Tom Gutherz officiating. Interment will follow
at Beth Joseph/Agudath Sholom Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Agudath Sholom Synagogue,
2055 Langhorne Road, Lynchburg, VA 24501; Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, 4415 Boonsboro
Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503; or Hospice of the Hills, 4413 Boonsboro Road,
Lynchburg, VA 24503; or your favorite charity.
His family has the utmost appreciation for Hospice of the Hills, and for
the phenomenal nurses that became Macey's friends and remain ours.
Thank you, Dr. David Hill.