William B. Sembrot, 82, physician
William B. Sembrot, 82, of Plymouth Meeting, a retired physician who practiced in Philadelphia, died Thursday, Nov. 26, of heart disease at home.
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William B. Sembrot, 82, of Plymouth Meeting, a retired physician who practiced in Philadelphia, died Thursday, Nov. 26, of heart disease at home.
Dr. Sembrot maintained a solo practice in internal medicine at the Deauville Apartments on Ridge Avenue in Roxborough for many years.
"We lived there, and his office was there on the ground floor," said his son, David J.
Dr. Sembrot was a "small-town doctor in the big city," his son said. He made house calls, carrying his black bag with a stethoscope and other medical equipment.
He also treated patients at city-run health centers in South, West, and North Philadelphia. Dr. Sembrot retired from private practice in the early 1990s and from the City of Philadelphia in 2005 at age 73.
Born in Peckville, Pa., the son of William H. and Veronica Sembrot, Dr. Sembrot was a 1950 graduate of Blakely High School, where he was valedictorian, class president, and an offensive lineman on a football team coached by the legendary Jack Henzes.
At one football game, the yard lines were marked in coal dust on the frozen field, Dr. Sembrot recalled.
He enrolled at Temple University, graduating in 1954 with a bachelor's degree, and in 1958 from Temple University Medical School with a medical degree. While at Temple, he enlisted in the ROTC program and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1957.
Dr. Sembrot served an internship at Northeastern Hospital, where he met Barbara Karpovich, a nursing student.
But wedding plans had to wait while the Army deployed Dr. Sembrot to active duty in Korea with the 43d Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH).
He told family that he served not far from the Demilitarized Zone with the same unit that was the subject of the movie and TV series M*A*S*H.
"That was after the armistice, though, so things had quieted down some," his son said.
On his return stateside, Dr. Sembrot was assigned to Kimbrough Army Hospital at Fort Meade, Md. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1962 with the rank of captain.
Dr. Sembrot and Karpovich were married on Thanksgiving in 1960 at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Blakely.
After his discharge, Dr. Sembrot served a residency at the Medical College of Pennsylvania that he completed in 1965. He was a member of the medical staff into the 1990s.
Dr. Sembrot was an active member and leader of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia.
He had season tickets to Temple Owls games and enjoyed Civil War history.
Besides his wife and son, he is survived by a granddaughter and a brother.
A viewing is to be held Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Fletcher-Nasevich Funeral Home, 9529 Bustleton Ave. A Requiem Service is to be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, 6740 N. Fifth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19126. Burial is in Oakland Cemetery in Northeast Philadelphia.
Donations may be made to the church at the address above.
610-313-8102