Dr. M. Richard Katz passed away in his home in Penn Valley, PA on June 27, 2017, a few days short of his 87th Birthday.

Dick was pre deceased by his wife Carol (June 28, 2005) and is survived by his eldest son Dr. Stephen Katz of Bath Maine, his 3 children Samuel, Emma, and Abraham; his middle son Charles Katz, Esq.of McLean Virginia, his wife Rebecca Nassab, their two children Ryan and Sophie; and his daughter Lise Katz of Arlington Virginia.  He is also survived by his sister Nonie Cohen of St. Louis, Missouri, and his longtime companion Lucetta Strumia, of Gladwyne.

Dick was born on July 7, 1930 in Kansas City, Missouri to Dr. Samuel and Frances Katz. He was raised in St. Louis Missouri and graduated from Clayton High School in 1947, Washington University in 1952 and Washington University School of Medicine in 1955.

Dick's training took him to an internship at St. Louis hospital in 1956, and then to the Army where he served as a psychiatrist while stationed in Texas, San Francisco and then Tokyo.  Following the Army, Dick completed a residency in neurosurgery at The University of Wisconsin - Madison, which led to a position working in the neurosurgery lab at Barnes hospital in St. Louis and then to Syracuse University for a neurosurgery residency, where he was the first resident under Dr. Robert King.  It is in Syracuse that he met his future wife, Carol, who was a nurse at the University hospital.  They married on March 23, 1963.  Dick finished his residency in July of 1963 and he and Carol made the exciting move to Switzerland where Dick did a fellowship in microsurgery and where they had many adventures.  Upon their return to St. Louis, Dick assumed the position of Head of Neurosurgery at Jewish Hospital from 1964-1969. Dick and Carol were brought to Philadelphia in 1969 when Dick was hired to be the Head of Neurosurgery at Albert Einstein Medical Center.  Always a teacher who enjoyed molding residents and medical students, Dick worked as a clinical instructor for Temple University department of Neurosurgery.  A dedicated physician, Dick worked at Einstein until his retirement in 2006.

Although medicine was his passion, Dick spent all of his free time with his family and many friends.  He and Carol found a special love of Mt. Desert Island Maine and spent time with friends and family there every summer.  He loved to ski, sail, and hike and was an avid baseball and hockey fan.  He was someone whom anyone could talk to, always finding a common interest or connection, always having an interesting fact or story to share.

Dick will be missed by his family and friends and all those that knew him.

A service will be held Sunday July 2nd at 9:00 am at Beth David Reform Congregation, Gladwyne, PA. Internment is private.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Washington University in St. Louis Medical School ( www.wustl.edu ) or to Friends of Acadia ( www.friendsofacadia.org ).