VICTOR M. ZURITA M.D.

Victor M. Zurita, M.D. of Rolling Meadows Victor M. Zurita, M.D., 82, died Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011, at Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois, from pulmonary fibrosis. He was born March 6, 1929, in Acapulco, Mexico, to Manuel Odilon Zurita and Bernardina Maria Azcorra. As a child, his family moved frequently to many cities in Mexico, following his father's work as a customs agent. After receiving his B.S. and M.D. degrees from Yucatan University in Merida, Mexico, he held a private practice in the small nearby town of Tekax from 1952 to 1956. He then completed his internships and residencies at Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, Lutheran Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., St. Joseph Hospital in Lorain, Ohio and St. Joseph Hospital in Kirkwood, Mo. It was at the hospital in Kirkwood where he met his future wife, Rita Joan Koch. They married in 1961, and the following year, Dr. Zurita opened his private practice in Mount Sterling, Ill., where he served the community's healthcare needs for four years. Over the next seven years, Dr Zurita practiced medicine in the Illinois towns of Kewanee, Highland Park and Rolling Meadows, until he moved his practice to Arlington Heights. He closed his office in September 2011 due to declining health. Over the years, Dr Zurita maintained a medical license in Florida and served six weeks as ship doctor aboard the Norwegian ship Seaward. He was past president of the Irving Park Branch of the Chicago Medical Society, and served on the Utilization Review Board of Americana Health Care in Rolling Meadows. He also served as medical director of Clearbrook Commons in Rolling Meadows. Dr Zurita was fluent in both English and Spanish, and enjoyed speaking what he could in German, French and Italian. He was a student of geography and history and found relaxation in travelling, sculpting and oil painting. Dr Zurita was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Elda; and niece, Cynthia. He is survived by his wife, Joan; sons, V Franz Zurita, M.D. and Brian Zurita; daughters-in-law, Martha and Leslie; and five grandchildren, Amy, Steven, Jenny, Anthony and Kathryn. Visitation will be on Wednesday, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Meadows Funeral Home, 3615 Kirchoff Road (½ block east of Route 53), Rolling Meadows, where services will be held on Thursday, at 11 a.m. Interment will be in St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery, Palatine. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 811 W. Evergreen, Suite 204, Chicago, IL 60642 or at pulmonaryfibrosis.org. For information, 847-253-0224.