Harry Van Gorder Armitage, 99, surgical chief

Harry Van Gorder Armitage, 99, of Kennett Square, a longtime surgeon in Chester, Delaware County, died Thursday, March 31, of congestive heart failure at Kendal Crosslands.

The family produced three surgeons: Dr. Armitage; his father, Harry Marshall Armitage; and an uncle, George L. Armitage.

All three were born in Chester, graduated from Chester High School, earned degrees at medical schools in Philadelphia, served internships at Chester Hospital, and became chiefs of surgery at the hospital that is now Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Each was president of the Delaware County Medical Society.

In an odd twist, Dr. Armitage presented the Pennsylvania Medical Society's 50-year testimonial to his Uncle George before the latter's death in 1964. His father, renowned for his surgical skill, died in 1929 at age 43.

Dr. Armitage was a demanding teacher and mentored many young surgeons. Before hospitals staffed emergency rooms 24 hours a day, he was often called out in the middle of the night to treat trauma cases.

"He also made frequent house calls to the housing projects of Chester, never accepting payment, though a freshly killed goose or neatly knitted afghan would occasionally appear on the family's doorstep," said his daughter-in-law, Louise Armitage.

"He had a dry wit and was a quiet and modest man by nature despite his distinguished career," she said.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson Medical College, Dr. Armitage served as a captain in the Army Medical Corps during World War II, chiefly in the Philippine Islands.

After the war, he joined his uncle's Chester practice. In 1948, he attended the Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania, and the following year received a fellowship in surgery at the Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa.

There he met Betty Kelble, chief surgical nurse at the Guthrie Clinic. The two married and reared three children.

He resumed practice in Chester and was affiliated with Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Taylor Hospital, Riddle Hospital, and Sacred Heart Hospital. He was past president of the medical staff and chief of surgery at Crozer-Chester.

He retired at 70 and focused his surgical skill on tying fishing flies, which were amazingly intricate, his daughter-in-law said.

He enjoyed fishing, golf, and reading, and was a top bridge player at Kendal Crosslands, a retirement community in Chester County.

"He continuously researched the game, dissecting why he might have lost a hand, or studying various bids and plays in order to maximize the hand," his daughter-in-law said.

Besides his wife of 65 years, he is survived by twin sons Charles and Thomas and a daughter, Sarah Armitage, none of whom pursued medical careers; four grandchildren; and a brother.

At Dr. Armitage's request, no services were held. Burial is private.

bcook@phillynews.com

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