Robert Charles Nothwanger

Robert C. Nothwanger

Surgeon

Dr. Robert Nothwanger, 83, a surgeon with expertise in burn reconstruction plastic surgery, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, died on Thursday, March 3, 2011, at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Robert Charles Nothwanger was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 11, 1927, to Robert Nothwanger and Irene May Bevern. He was predeceased by a half-brother, George Cameron.

He attended St. George's College High School and was granted his M.D. from the University of Buenos Aires Medical School. He completed his surgical internship at the Buenos Aires British Hospital and moved to the United States of America in 1958. He completed his surgical residency at the Washington Hospital Center (WHC) becoming Chief Surgical Resident. He was certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1964 and became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1968.

In 1963, Dr. Nothwanger began his long career in general surgery practice at the WHC. In association with Dr. Marion Jordan and Dr. Salah Hosny, he started the WHC Burn Center. During this time, he also was in partnership with first Dr. Morris Kossow, and then Dr. Salah Hosny and Dr. Yussef Akbari, at the Northeast Industrial Clinic until he retired. He volunteered weekly at the Centro Catolico clinic, which provides medical services to the Hispanic community, and was a long-term member of the Lions Club.

Among other positions, he served as Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the Department of Surgery, Member of the Hospital Medical Board, Chairman of the Credentials Committee Department of Surgery and Vice Chairman and Member of Professional Affairs and Quality Assurance Committee. He belonged to the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the Interamerican College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Pan American Medical Society, the American Burn Association, the Washington Academy of Surgery, and the Peer Review Panel.

He lived in Bethesda, Maryland, for many years and retired in 1996. Afterwards he moved first to Kilmarnock, Virginia, and then, in 2006, to Charlottesville, Virginia. His favorite pastimes included playing tennis and fine woodworking. He was very accomplished at turning bowls on the lathe, had many items in exhibitions and galleries, and was a member of the American Association of Woodturners.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Rosemary W. Raikes Nothwanger; two sisters and a brother, Kathleen Dunn of Hurlingham, Argentina, Joan Goode of Stephens City, Virginia, and Arthur Nothwanger of Buenos Aires, Argentina; two daughters, Caroline Teague of Vienna, Virginia, and Candace Gibson of San Diego, California; and five grandchildren.

For service information please refer to www.teaguefuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Parkinson Disease Association.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.