Richard Shelling

SHELLING, DR. RICHARD Dr. Richard Shelling passed away on Sept. 12, 2013. He is survived by his beloved wife, Judi Hahn Shelling, his son, Douglas (Michelle) Shelling, daughters, Debbie (Tom) Reynolds and Susan (Eric) Lebersfeld, and his stepsons, Ken Hahn, Bill (Jessica Kerner) Hahn and Andy Hahn, and by his sister, Phyliss Lesser and many, many good and caring friends. He also leaves thousands of children, young people and adults whom he expertly and lovingly cared for as a Pediatrician in the New Haven area over the past fifty five years. Dr. Shelling was born on April 3rd, 1929, to Rose and Frank Shelling at Grace New Haven Hospital. He graduated from Hillhouse High School, The University of Connecticut and Boston University Medical School. He interned at Baltimore City Hospital (Johns Hopkins University) and finished his residency at Yale. In 1958, he started practicing with Robert Hamberger in Milford, Connecticut, and the following year formed Milford Pediatrics with Dr. Frank Gruskay. Dr. Shelling's area of expertise became children with emotional issues, as well as physical problems. In 1960, Dr. Al Solnit, the director of The Child Study Center at Yale, formed a group that became known as The Complete Pediatricians. Dr. Shelling was an original and integral part of this group. They met monthly for over 40 years seeking to deal with the whole child. Dr. Solnit became involved with Anna Freud, who headed a similar group in London. The New Haveners traveled to Anna Freud's clinic and home in England for a memorable visit. Dr. Shelling was Chief of Medicine at Milford Hospital in the late 50's and Associate Chief of Pediatrics. In the 60's, he began teaching fourth year Yale medical students through the Primary Care Curriculum. In later years, they came to his Milford office. He wanted to give them the opportunity to learn about normal child development, as well as imparting his medical knowledge. Other passions included golf, bicycling, exercising at the New Haven JCC, travel, food and spending time with his family and many friends. "It's been a good life" he said numerous times over the past difficult months. Funeral services at Cong. Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Rd., Hamden, MONDAY morning, Sept. 16, 2013 at 11:00 o'clock with Interment Services to follow at the Mishkan Israel Cemetery, Jewell St., New Haven. Memoriam Contributions may be sent to the Richard & Judith Hahn Shelling Education Fund, c/o The Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven, 360 Amity Rd., Woodbridge, CT 06525 or to Cong. Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Rd., Hamden, CT 06517. A strictly Private Period of Mourning will be observed. Funeral Arrangements in care of Robert E. Shure Funeral Home, New Haven. www.shurefuneralhome.com