Obituary of Leroy A. Seftel

DR.LEROY A. SEFTEL 1933-2009 Dr. Leroy A. Seftel, a beloved physician, died on Wednesday in Schenectady, New York. He was 76. Seftel practiced medicine in Schenectady for over four decades and was Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ellis Hospital from 1985-2000. In his career as a physician, he delivered nearly 10, 000 babies. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1933, he was the son of the late Anna and Herman Seftel who ran a grocery store. Seftel received a full scholarship to the College of Pharmacy at Rutgers University where he was a member of the Pharmaceutical Honor Society. In 1957, while attending the George Washington University School of Medicine, Seftel met his wife, Patricia Rubin, who was studying to become a Registered Nurse. Following medical school, he served as a Captain in the United States Air Force in Glasgow, Montana. Upon completion of his military service, he became Chief Resident of OB-GYN at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. He joined the private OB-GYN practice of Meyerhoff, Cioffi, and Brown in Schenectady in 1966, which became known as Schenectady Women's Healthcare Associates. Seftel was dedicated to educating future physicians, serving as Director of Education at Ellis Hospital's OB-GYN Department and Clinical Assistant Professor at Albany Medical College. He was a strong advocate of a woman's right to choose and gave generously of his time by volunteering as a physician at Planned Parenthood and the Schenectady Free Clinic. Most recently, he worked as a Medical Coordinator for the Office of Professional Medical Conduct of the New York State Department of Health. In his free time, Seftel loved the Broadway theater, the Boston Red Sox, traveling, sailing, and spending time with his family on the beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Patricia Louise Seftel; his daughters, Laura Seftel of Northampton, Massachusetts, Suzanne Seftel Glassman of Bethesda, Maryland; his son, Joshua Seftel of Manhattan, New York; and his grandchildren, Henry, Arlo, Sophie, and Ella. Dr. Seftel was most recently a resident of Sarasota, Florida. A funeral service will be held at Congregation Agudat Achim, 2117 Union Street, Schenectady on Friday at 1 p.m. Memorial contributions can be made to the Ellis Hospital Foundation or Congregation Agudat Achim.