Dr Robert Goebel

Chief Medical Officer, Clinical Medical

Director At Fairfield Hills Hospital

Dr Robert Goebel, 84, a long-time resident of Newtown, died November 23. Dr Goebel was born in Oberscheld, Germany.

He completed his medical degree at Goethe University in Frankfurt, while working as an interpreter for the US Rail Transport Office and a radio monitor for the US Information Service in Frankfurt. He came to the United States in 1951 on the first post-war medical exchange program and completed a medical internship at West Jersey Hospital in Camden, N.J. He did his residency training at the New England Deaconess Hospital and Joslin Diabetes Clinic in Boston. He went on to complete two clinical fellowships at Lahey Clinic in Boston in internal medicine and gastro-enterology, and a research fellowship at Children’s Hospital-Boston. The remainder of his career was spent caring for chronic psychiatric patients at Fairfield Hills Hospital in Newtown, where he served as the chief medical officer and later as the clinical director of medicine and surgery.

He is survived by his son, Dr Peter Goebel, daughter-in-law, Cathi; and two granddaughters, Geni and Jacki of Lamoine, Maine. He is also survived by his daughter, Dr Ann Goebel-Fabbri, son-in-law, Bill, and granddaughter, Kate, of Boston. His ex-wife, Ursula Goebel, currently resides in Boston.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 29, at 11 am at the Newtown Meeting House.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in honor of Dr Goebel to the Rotary International Foundation, c/o Brian Amey, Newtown Savings Bank, 39 Main Street, Newtown.

The Newtown Bee      December 22, 2006