GEORGE ALBRIGHT M.D.

ALBRIGHT M.D. GEORGE

George Albright, M.D. of Carmel Valley, CA passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on February 14th, 2020 surrounded by love. Born in Rochester, PA on January 28, 1931, he was the son of Denton Morris Albright, an educator and superintendent of the Crafton, PA school district and Ethel Mary Jane Varner, a Latin and Math teacher. After graduating from Franklin and Marshall College, George went on to pursue a degree in medicine from Temple University. Upon completing medical school, George enlisted in the U.S. Navy and completed his internship at Bethesda Naval Hospital. While home on break, George's sister Mary introduced him to Dolores (Dolly) Kennedy, a captivating home economics teacher who soon became his wife. George then entered the Flight Surgeon program in Pensacola, FL and after completion he assumed his duty in Hawaii. George's children, Karla and twin boys, David and Doug were born while he was stationed in Hawaii. After three years in the Navy, George began a residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Following the birth of their fourth child Greg, the family moved to Long Island, New York where George worked in aerospace medicine with Republic Aviation. This eventually led him to relocate to California to work at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company and settle down in Los Altos Hills. While at Lockheed, George participated in the space program helping to design the space suits worn by the Apollo astronauts. At the age of 40, George entered into an anesthesia residency program at Stanford University Medical School. Upon graduation, he was invited to join the faculty. During his tenure at Stanford, George authored two anesthesia textbooks and wrote numerous articles, one of which is in the top 10 cited articles in obstetrical anesthesia. George's research on Bupivacaine, an anesthesia drug commonly used during childbirth, successfully called attention to the risks associated with high dosage levels. As a result, the FDA issued a warning and subsequent recommendations for decreased concentrations of Bupivacaine and updated national guidelines which most likely saved the lives of hundreds if not thousands of women. In 1987, George and Dolly moved to Chicago where he served on the faculty of Northwestern University School of Medicine. He finished his professional career in anesthesiology at Bellevue Women's Hospital in Albany New York. Upon retirement, George and Dolly returned to their beloved California and settled in Carmel. George found strength and peace in the stillness of natural beauty. Lake Tahoe was a favorite destination and he could often be found reading a book on the deck of the cabin he designed in the mountains overlooking the lake. Other passions that George shared with his family included tennis, skiing, back-packing, bridge, opera, travel and collecting art. George was a master joke teller and his ability to fry the perfect piece of bacon every Christmas morning will be sorely missed. George is survived by his wife, Dolly; his four children, Karla Albright of Los Gatos, CA, Doug Albright of Rocklin, CA, Dave Albright of Garrison, NY and Greg Albright of Washington, DC; four grandchildren, David Burkhart, Alex Burkhart, Katherine Albright, Michael Albright; brother, Denton; and sister, Mary. A celebration of George's life will be held in early May at the Carmel Valley Manor.