George T. Hare; chose medicine over baseball

George T. Hare threw a mean pitch and was a cleanup hitter back in the day. When he had to choose between professional baseball and going to medical school, however, he picked the latter, as he felt a strong calling to become a doctor.

Dr. Hare, 86, of Cherry Hill, formerly of Haddonfield, died of heart failure on Saturday, June 17, at his home.

Building a specialty in geriatric medicine, Dr. Hare was diligent in making sure his patients were comfortable, said daughter Patricia.

"He loved medicine more than anything else," she said. "He not only treated the patient, but he treated the family as well."

Joseph Costabile, a surgeon at Cooper University Health Care who worked with Dr. Hare, called him "100 percent passionate about patient care." He was a tough doctor who checked on his patients to make sure his orders had been carried out properly.

"If you didn't take good care of his patients, there would be hell to pay," Costabile said.

In 1948, Dr. Hare graduated from Haddon Heights High School, where he played baseball, basketball, and football. In 1991, he was inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame.

After high school, he attended Gettysburg College, where he played basketball and baseball. In basketball, he was an All-State honorable mention and All-Little Three player, according to Gettysburg's website.

In college baseball, Dr. Hare was both a top starting pitcher and the cleanup hitter in the batting order. He hit safely in 14 games as a sophomore and later hit  numerous home runs, according to the website. Dr. Hare is listed as a .295 hitter as a sophomore to over .400 as a senior, switching between the mound and left field. He pitched in defeats against Navy and the Universities of Delaware and Pittsburgh. He was inducted into the Gettysburg Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

Dr. Hare turned down an offer by the Cleveland Indians in order to continue his education.

He majored in biology at Gettysburg, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1952.

After Gettysburg, he attended New York Medical College, receiving his medical degree in 1956. He did his residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, and  interned at what is now Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

During his medical career, which spanned more than 50 years in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Dr. Hare held numerous leadership positions, including medical director of the Camden County Health Services Center and head of the division of geriatric medicine that he created at Cooper. He also was part of a homebound program in geriatric medicine in Camden, and helped establish New Jersey's first palliative care unit in a long-term care facility, his family said.

Dr. Hare was a member of the Camden County Medical Society, serving as secretary and participating with the group at the national level. He served as a member of the Gettysburg Board of Fellows, and was in the Army Reserve Medical Corps, reaching the rank of major.

His daughter said her father had an innate understanding of the elderly, a trait she believes was passed down by his parents, who were kind and generous. He was deeply devoted to his family and was a dedicated physician who touched countless lives, she said.

In his spare time, Dr. Hare golfed, played the slot machines in Atlantic City, and loved his pets.

In addition to his daughter, Dr. Hare is survived by his wife, JoAnn; son Tom; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by sons John and David.

A viewing for Dr. Hare will be from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Friday, June 23, at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 501 Green St,, Haddon Heights. A memorial service will follow at 11. Interment will be at Locustwood Cemetery in Cherry Hill.

Donations may be made to the Voorhees Animal Orphanage, 419 Cooper Rd,, Voorhees, N.J. 08043, or vaonj.org.