Lambert Eichner, physician

Lambert George "Skip" Eichner, 83, a physician in Broomall for more than 40 years, died of complications from strokes Tuesday, Feb. 15, at his home in Berwyn.

Dr. Eichner maintained a family practice in Broomall until retiring in 2003.

"House calls were part of his daily regimen, and he emphasized diet and lifestyle to maximize quality of life," said a son, Bill. "His files are filled with tributes and letters from patients and their families. He understood the healing qualities of humor, which he used liberally with patients, friends, and family."

An internist who studied metabolic disorders and endocrinology, Dr. Eichner volunteered at a diabetes clinic in Philadelphia for years. He was passionate about the evils of tobacco, his son said, and frequently spoke to schoolchildren about smoking and to adults about the dangers of secondhand smoke for their children.

He was a past president of the board of directors of the Delaware County Chapter of the American Cancer Society and oversaw periodic American Red Cross blood drives at his church and at community centers.

For a decade early in his career, Dr. Eichner was the physician for the Marple Newtown School District and served as sideline doctor for wrestling matches and football games.

For three years in the late 1960s, he and his wife, Beverly Klipple Eichner, a nurse, spent two weeks annually in Nicaragua, treating patients in remote villages under the auspices of the American Baptist League. After political instability in Nicaragua prevented further visits, Dr. Eichner, a talented photographer, showed slides from Nicaragua and gave lectures about the plight of the people there.

During his more than 40 years at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, he served as vice president of the medical executive committee and chief administrative officer of the medical staff, and he was president of the board of directors from 1989 to 1991.

Dr. Eichner graduated from Upper Darby High School, where he was a member of the wrestling and football teams.

When he was 19, he was with a group of young people in a park in Swarthmore when a young woman who could not swim fell into a 20-foot pool of water. He dived in and brought her to the surface, but she could not be revived. He received a Bronze Medal from the Carnegie Hero Fund for his effort.

Dr. Eichner earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College.

He interned at Presbyterian Hospital in West Philadelphia, where met his future wife, a nursing student. They married in 1957.

From 1955 to 1957, Dr. Eichner served in the Navy Medical Corps in the Mediterranean.

After his discharge, he completed a residency in internal medicine at Presbyterian. While there, he cared for patients at a nearby nursing home and continued to volunteer at the home for five years after his residency.

Dr. Eichner was active with several historical societies in the Philadelphia area and used his medical background for presentations on such topics as medicine in colonial America.

He sang in the choir at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Broomall and with a choral group, Joyful Voice, which performed at nursing homes and community centers.

In addition to his wife and son, Dr. Eichner is survived by another son, Kenneth; daughters Nancy Eichner-White and Cheryl; a sister; and two grandchildren.

Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 18, at Frank C. Videon Funeral Home, 2001 Sproul Rd., Broomall, and after 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 2220 Sproul Rd., Broomall, where a funeral will be held at 11. Burial will be in Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill.