Peter Johann Koblenzer M.D.

On March 16, 2019, Peter Johann Koblenzer, M.D. died after a short illness. He was 96 years old and leaves behind his wife of almost 70 years, Caroline S. Koblenzer, M.D., his three children and their spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren. (Son, Jonathan Koblenzer, M.D., his spouse, Marian Gross and their daughter, Alana, and Jon's son, James; his daughter, Frances Koblenzer, M.D. and spouse, Josh Farber, M.D. and her daughters, Hannah and Molly Johnston (spouse, Chris Blair and children, Noah and Martha), and son, Graham Koblenzer, Esq., his spouse, Becca Donham and their children, Rufus and Harriet). He was preceded in death by his daughter, Amanda, age 2, who died when Peter and Caroline worked for the British Colonial Service in Borneo.

Peter had an indefatigable spirit until the end. He was a lifelong learner and educator. The youngest of three children, he was born in Munich, Germany when his mother was 40 years of age. He was a holocaust survivor and spent several years in an internment camp on the Isle of Man, in England. Following the war, he attended medical school at Guys Hospital School of Medicine in London (University of London). It was in medical school that he met his wife, Caroline (nee Adamson), who attended The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine (also of the University of London). After medical school, Peter and Caroline joined the British Overseas Colonial Service as physicians and spent several years in the Sudan and in Borneo. They ran a hospital in the Sudan where Peter took care of every aspect of men, including surgery while his wife Caroline treated women and children. In Borneo, Peter ran a hospital and his wife had a private practice.

Peter, his wife and three children emigrated to Philadelphia in 1959 and Peter trained in Pediatrics at Childrens' Hospital in Philadelphia. In 1961 he took his family to Thunder Bay in Canada where he joined a pediatric practice for a year before returning to Philadelphia to take a dermatology residency at Skin and Cancer Hospital. Peter became the first double boarded pediatric dermatologist in Philadelphia. He worked at CHOP for several years and then at St. Christopher's before starting his own private practice in Moorestown, New Jersey. He retired only recently in December 2017, at age 95. In addition to an M.D., Peter also was an FRCP and was a member of the Philadelphia College of Physicians for 50 years. He published articles in peer reviewed journals and although he continued to do research, he was mainly interested in clinical work.

Peter had many passions. He traveled the world, he collected art, he loved the Philadelphia Orchestra and he loved his family. Perhaps his greatest passion was his wife Caroline. He championed her and her accomplishments. Although she had been practicing obstetrics in Africa, she completed a residency at the Skin and Cancer Hospital and joined Peter in private practice. They practiced medicine together in Moorestown. As well, with Caroline, Peter co-founded the American Association for Psycho-Cutaneous Disease and after Caroline completed Psychoanalytic training she focused her work on psycho-cutaneous disease.

Having survived the atrocities of Nazi Germany, Peter gained sustenance from Quaker ideals. He dedicated his life to service and ingrained in his children that same dedication. He never lost faith in humanity, although this was severely tested in the current political climate. He was larger than life and it is with great sadness that we have had to say goodbye.

In keeping with his commitment to learning and education, Peter donated his body to science: an anatomical gift. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held later this year.