Milton A. Wohl, 90, orthopedic surgeon at Einstein Medical Center

IT WOULD NOT have been surprising to find Dr. Milton A. Wohl, a distinguished physician, repairing a tractor on his farm in Schwenksville, putting in a crop of corn, cutting down a tree or working a piece of wood in his shop.

Dr. Wohl was a prominent orthopedic surgeon, former president of the Philadelphia County Medical Society, and a highly regarded teacher. But he was also a farmer, a handyman who could take anything mechanical apart and fix it, a historian, music lover, fisherman and world traveler.

In other words, as his wife of 63 years, the former Joan Piwosky, put it, "a renaissance man."

Milton Alexander Wohl, scion of a family of physicians, a Navy veteran of two wars, a man of compassion devoted to healing people and teaching others how to heal, died of cancer Monday. He was 90 and lived in the William Penn House, 19th and Chestnut streets.

"He was one of the good people," his wife said. "The world has lost a fine citizen."

Dr. Wohl was former chairman of the orthopedic department at Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he maintained a surgical practice for 42 years.

"Dr. Wohl developed a reputation for being a tireless educator and forthright patient advocate," his family said in a tribute. "He believed it was a physician's duty to provide the best of care possible at all times to any patient in need.

"His clinical and administrative skills served him well over a multi-decade career that saw him eventually lead the orthopaedic surgery residency program into the modern era at Albert Einstein Medical Center."

In 1963, Dr. Wohl and his wife spent two months in Enugu, Nigeria, as part of the Orthopaedics Overseas program of MEDICO, the international health organization that became part of CARE.

He treated patients and taught doctors and nurses, while his wife handled the paperwork.

"The country was wonderful when we arrived," his wife said. "It was calm, economically prosperous. It grew crops that were exported. Then it all fell apart."

After independence from Great Britain, Nigeria plunged into chaos and civil war. "We saw severed heads and bodies in the rivers," she said. "It was time to get out."

But, she said, "it was a fascinating experience, a wonderful medical experience."

Dr. Wohl was born in Omaha, Neb., to Michael and Rose Wohl, both physicians. After living for two years in Vienna with his parents and two brothers, the late George and Joseph Wohl - who both also became physicians - the family moved to Philadelphia. Milton graduated from Central High School, Swarthmore College and the Temple University School of Medicine.

In World War II, Dr. Wohl entered the Navy V-12 program, which trained officers. When the Korean War broke out, he served as a surgical officer on the USS Wisconsin.

"He proudly sailed on her farewell cruise and was present at the decommissioning in September 1991," his family said.

As a farmer, Dr. Wohl spent 40 years with his wife on a 15-acre spread on Swamp Creek in Schwenksville. They used the property for family gatherings, medical conferences and other events, as well as to grow crops.

The Wohls had a couple of tractors, a big one for large chores. If anything went wrong with them, Dr. Wohl was ready to get his hands greasy fixing them.

He was meticulous about the use of tools. Every tool had to be made ready for the next job after use.

"If you used a knife in the kitchen, you couldn't just wash it and put it away," his wife said. "You had to sharpen it so it would be ready for use the next time."

As a historian, Dr. Wohl specialized in American history along with his wife, and had an extensive collection of maps, prints and books. He was president of the American Historical Print Collectors Society and was a member of the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Historical Society and the American Philosophical Society. Pieces of the couple's personal collection are housed at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, in Charlottesville, Va.

Dr. Wohl was a devoted fan of classical music and opera. He began to attend Philadelphia Orchestra concerts as a teenager when Leopold Stokowski was the conductor.

He played the flute in the Central High School orchestra and in his college marching band, but didn't play a musical instrument in later years.

Dr. Wohl was also an avid fisherman who would go on weeks-long fishing excursions to Islamorada in the Florida Keys each winter.

When he knew that his end was near, Dr. Wohl told his wife to gather his children and grandchildren, who were scattered around the country. He met with each for one-on-one chats, then gave his wife a list of other people he wanted to see. The final talks were last weekend.

Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Deborah Isard; two sons, David and Daniel Wohl, and five grandchildren.

Services: Were Wednesday. Burial was in Adath Jeshurun Cemetery.

Donations may be made to the Milton A. Wohl Scholarship Fund c/o Temple University School of Medicine, Institutional Advancement, 3500 N. Broad St., Suite 1101, Philadelphia 19140; or Camp Ramah in the Poconos, 2100 Arch St., Philadelphia 19103.