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My Father was born in Ustron, Poland where he obtained
his medical degree in 1939 from one of Europe's oldest universities.
His private practice was interrupted by the outbreak of World
War 11. Drafted into the Army as an officer and taken prisoner,
he was deported to the Soviet Union. He managed to escape and
resume his private practice. A few months later he evaded arrest
by the German Gestapo by walking across the mountains to Hungary.
There he worked as a doctor, often under extremely trying war
conditions. After the war, he returned to his native Poland,
but refusing to live under communist rule, he escaped to West
Germany. There he organized a hospital in the camp for war refugess
at Bad Reichenhall and served as chief medical officer in the
Wildlechken Camp. My Father never ceased to expand his knowledge and fields of interest. While in Hungary, he specialized in opthalmology at the Budapest University clinic. While in Germany, he obtained a doctorate from Heidelberg University where he wrote a thesis on the effect of trauma to the lower brain. My Father was the first refugee to obtain a visa as a medical doctor. He arrived in the United States in 1949. Within two years, he completed all the US medical residency requirements and passed the medical board exams. He opened his private practice in 1951 in Port Henry, NY. In 1952, the town of Newcomb invited him to become its resident physician. He was also asked to be the medical officer of the National Lead Co. of Tahawus. It was in Newcomb that my Father found his true love among the wilderness and mountains. It reminded him of the native town in Poland, which also lies in the mountains at the source of a great river. In recognition for his devoted services to medicine and community, my Father was awarded the Liberty Bell in Tupper Lake, NY in 1983. He practiced medicine in Newcomb for 33 years. Dr. Lazar loved his patients and was very dedicated to his work. He was a rare Doctor, one who could be called 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. If you didn't have insurance, that was ok as well, no charge - just get well. He retired January 15th, 1986. He died January 15th, 1990 after a long illness. I worked for him in his office and learned many things from him. It was there that I saw another side to him that I did not know existed. I will always treasure the time I had with him and will always hold my Father close to my heart. |
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