Dr. William Alan Tuffiash

Dr. William A. Tuffiash, 80, of Allentown, devoted husband of 41 years to Rae Tuffiash (Berger, d. April 2014) and loving father to his three children, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 while receiving care in Philadelphia, PA. Born in Newark, NJ, to the late Joseph and Edith (Teitelbaum) Tuffiash. He worked 45 years as a private practice physician and consulting Allergist. He loved treating patients and prioritized conversation, sharing in the joys and challenges of their daily lives. A graduate of Franklin & Marshall, Dr. Tuffiash earned his MD from Temple University Medical School in 1970 with post-graduate training at Syracuse University and the University of Michigan. He completed two years of military medical service at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, serving in the first class of US Navy Allergists. He frequently spoke at statewide and national medical conventions, serving as President of the Lehigh County Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Allergy and Asthma Association, and the Philadelphia Allergy Association. While at F & M, he ushered for an event where he met Martin Luther King, Jr. He laughed at an early career memory when he appeared on a local access television talk show, speaking about seasonal allergies alongside singer/celebrity Tiny Tim. He loved annual shared vacations with extended family and friends in Ocean City, MD. Those who love him will miss his messy fingers in the kitchen making no-filler crab cakes and his famous sweet and sour brisket. He loved the Greek Festival and chatting with seasonal boardwalk workers from around the globe. Long afternoons making rounds through the Allentown Farmers Market, he gave allergy advice to vendors and patrons while often buying gifts. A member of Congregation Keneseth Israel in Allentown, he sang in the choir and taught genealogy courses. Later, he enjoyed Schmooze and Schmear at Temple Beth El, the Friendship Circle at the JCC and his season tickets to the Allentown Symphony and Bill Mutimer's NCC Summer Theatre program. After becoming the first Eagle Scout in Troop 110, Monmouth, NJ, he spent nearly two decades as Scoutmaster for his two sons. He traced seven generations of Tuffiash family ancestry through years of conversations, hand-written notes, and archival research, before cell phones and computers. A voracious reader, he most enjoyed Jewish history, Broadway musical retrospectives, cookbooks, classic fiction, and travel books. An avid photographer and videographer, he was a willing archivist for decades of family and friends' events. He enjoyed unwinding at night in the family room, often with a favorite pet bird on his shoulder. He is survived by his daughter Marisa in Philadelphia, son Michael, and son Scott (Abigail) and his granddaughters, Laila and Grace, of Pittsburgh, PA. The family wishes to acknowledge the excellent care Bill received from the Cardiology and ICU teams (Arune Gulati, MD; Ahmed Nassar, MD; Dan Makowski, DO; Alma Ohl, RN) at Lehigh Valley Hospital and the dedicated Trauma team (Josh Knipe, PA-C) at St. Lukes in Bethlehem, as well as the outstanding palliative care provided by Dr. Joe Straton and the compassionate staff at Cathedral Village in Philadelphia. Services: 1pm Sunday, March 2, 2025 at Congregation Keneseth Israel, 2227 West Chew Street, Allentown. Internment in Keneseth Israel Cemetery, 2438 Coolidge Street, Allentown, PA 18104. Contributions: In lieu of gifts or flowers, please consider a monetary contribution to Doctors Without Borders or The United States Holocaust Museum. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Dr. William Alan Tuffiash, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.