Nathan Kaplan

1916 - 2011
Nathan Kaplan, M.D. died peacefully in his sleep the morning of October 13th, 2011. Dr. Kaplan was born in NYC in 1916, one of five children of Samuel Kaplan and Carrie Honig Kaplan.

Dr. Kaplan worked as a biologist before and during World War II, the latter in Oak Ridge TN with the Manhattan Project. After graduating from Chicago Medical School in 1953, Dr. Kaplan practiced in Denville NJ and Flushing NY, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Among his many passions and affiliations was: physician for the Bulova School of Watchmaking in Astoria NY, Assistant Professor (Physical Therapy) Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Medical Director of Easter Seals Cerebral Palsy Center in Morristown NJ and of the Morristown Rehabilitation Center in Morris Plains NJ, and Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for the Isabella Geriatric Center, NYC.

He retired as a physician at the age of 86 to care for his loving wife Beatrice in Niskayuna NY. Beatrice and Nathan were inseparable, and had worked together in his medical practice for twenty-five years.

In his 95th year, Dr. Kaplan took great pleasure that his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were healthy and that he had instilled in them his goals of living life to its fullest, positively touching the lives of as many others as possible, and leaving this world a better place.

Dr. Kaplan was a healer in the truest sense. At the age of 93, he wrote a book on the importance of compassion in medicine, which he felt should be paramount for all healing professions. "My belief is that the key to effective healing is compassion for the patient. Is it possible to reawaken compassion in physicians? An important factor is that physicians must love the practice of medicine, and above all, each patient. Compassion develops when the physician carefully and empathetically listens and converses with the patient about their problems. A major goal of medicine should be to strive to develop compassion – a sympathetic sense of a sincere feeling and caring for those who suffer from illness, disease, or disability."

Nathan's kind, generous, and loving spirit will be missed by his children, Kenneth Kaplan and his wife Cathy of Brookline MA, JoAnn Krefetz and her husband Walter of Niskayuna NY, and David Kaplan and his wife Freda Miller of Toronto ON, seven devoted grandchildren and four great grandchildren, his brother Irving of Freehold NY and sister Pearl of Baltimore MD, as well as many relatives, friends and admirers. For those who wish, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org) or Easter Seals (www.easterseals.org).