Matthew S. Asbornsen

Asbornsen, Matthew S. STUYVESANT Matthew A. Asbornsen M.D., died August 21, 2011 at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. He was born August 10, 1929 in Jersey City, N.J., the son of Ethel (Mercer) Asbornsen Doyle and Matthew A. Asbornsen, who died when Dr. Asbornsen was 11. He received his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University, and worked until drafted into the army during the Korean War. He served two years in a research laboratory at the United States Army Chemical Center. This experience and the GI Bill enabled him to enter the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1957. He took a rotating internship at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, and then completed a three year residency in internal medicine. He was board Certified in Internal medicine, recertified three times during his years of practice, and a member of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Asbornsen joined the Rip Van Winkle Clinic in Columbia County, N.Y. Following the clinic's demise, he opened an office in Kinderhook and practiced there for 26 years. Once retiring from practice, he was elected Supervisor of Stuyvesant for a term of two years, and then ran for councilman where he served several four year terms. During this time he was instrumental in initiating county-wide recycling. His interest in public access to the Hudson River provoked him to investigate ownership of the shore land. With the help of the State of New York and an environmental organization, he was vital in the preservation of five miles of Stuyvesant's shore land. Dr. Asbornsen enjoyed working around their farm in Stuyvesant, and hiking, and maintaining trails near their beloved summer home in Deer Isle, Maine. He was a passionate advocate for social justice and strong voice for environmental causes Dr. Asbornsen is survived by his wife, Muriel (Tennis) Asbornsen; as well as his children and grandchildren, Karin A. Kasparian and Christina and Ani Kasparian, Birgit Asbornsen and her husband, Luis Leon and Pablo and Diego Leon; and son-in-law, Shahin Kasparian. He is also survived by his sister and her husband, Dorothy A. and Ronald R. Salvo; and their sons and families, Todd and Robyn and Ron and Carrie. In addition, several cousins and their families survive. He was sadly predeceased by a grandson, Alexander Kasparian. Donations in memory of Dr. Asbornsen may be made to 21st Century Scholarship Fund, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.; or the Island Heritage Trust, PO Box 42, Deer Isle, Maine 04627. A service of Bragdon-Kelley Funeral Home, Stonington, Maine, www.bragdonkelley.com