John Dzwonczyk, Jr., M.D.

John Dzwonczyk, Jr., MD of Media, PA died on Sunday, September 11, 2016 of natural causes. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Barbara (Bariglio) Dzwonczyk in 2008. Survivors include brother Joseph G. Dzwonczyk (Teresa) of Broomall, PA and sister Maryann Malak (Joseph) of Minnesota, children Susan Rosko (Christopher) of Alabama, John Dzwonczyk (Patrice) of Ohio, Barbara Gatta (Kevin) of Broomall, PA, Maria Kurmlavage (Michael) of Monroeville, NJ, Amy Posse (Christopher) of Newtown Square, PA and Steven Dzwonczyk (Florence) of Flemington, NJ, along with 21 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Doctor John, as he was often called, was born in Dunmore, PA on October 22, 1927. In 1933, his family moved to West Philadelphia, where he attended Harrington Elementary, Shaw Junior High, and John Bartram High School (1945) before matriculating at Villanova College in Biology. He was drafted to the Army in 1946 and served in the Philippines as part of the occupation forces. He completed his studies at Villanova in 1950 and entered Hahnemann Medical School, graduating in 1954. He met Barbara in 1947 while she worked in Lipson’s Deli (52nd & Warrington), which was about halfway between each of their homes. They married in 1952 and they had a small, drafty apartment on Baltimore Avenue at 48th Street. He served as a resident in surgery at Misericordia Hospital (which offered their next housing on 54th Street across from the ER), and the VA Hospital in West Philadelphia. He later was a staff surgeon at Fitzgerald-Mercy Hospital in Darby. He had offices first at 5300 Cedar Avenue and later at 45 Ashby Road in Upper Darby.  He studied under Dr. C. Everett Coop, surgeon general of the United State. There he developed a reputation as an outstanding surgeon and compassionate physician.

In 1959, the family moved to Springfield (DELCO) and were members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Morton, PA. Dr. John’s interests included model trains, planes, rockets, the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies, skiing, national and world travel, woodworking, painting, bowling (Springfield AA Mens’ #5 league for close to 50 years), fishing, reading and investing. He and his wife Barbara hosted many memorable parties and cookouts, which became standards for family and friends on Fourth of July weekends for many years. In 1969, the couple built their dream house in then rural Upper Providence Township, a unique contemporary house known affectionately as The Square Donut and the family became among the early members of St. Mary Magdalen parish, which at that time held masses in its school auditorium.  Jokes, quips and stories are what many will remember about the man who drove around with the name CUT*UP on his license plate. But his most serious passion was in medicine and he never tired of learning, diagnosing, operating, teaching and healing in the profession he felt destined to pursue. Many are those who were in his care and he was always conscientious about their details. A devout and devoted catholic, John was originally baptized as a Byzantine Catholic, and converted to Roman Catholicism before with the baptism of his first child. He participated in the daily rosary and attendance at daily mass as long as his health permitted. He was a lector at SMM for many years, and an usher for many more years. He was a donor to the first and second parish churches. He was proud to be the doctor and surgeon to Cardinals O’Hara and Krol, but the majority of his cases were of ordinary people and in the days before widespread health insurance, were sometimes gratis.  Dr. Dzwonczyk retired from practice in 1992, promptly at the age of 65, citing the litigious and managed atmosphere of medicine that had overtaken the premise of healing. Following retirement, the doctor put his skilled hands into woodworking, and obtained an associate’s degree in it from Bucks County Community College. He gradually evolved from machined creations to hand-tooled fine work such as inlays and carving. He took up water-color painting and spent many weekends with friends fishing in Canada and the Delaware Bay.   He was a volunteer with organizations Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and the Hearing Loss Association of America doing advocacy work.  He was a devoted and broken-hearted follower of the Phillies and the Eagles to the very end.  In 2005, the Dzwonczyk’s moved into White Horse Village, Edgmont, PA. They were very satisfied with the arrangements, and after Barbara passed, John spent the next several years there before moving into an inside apartment. He enjoyed great care from the staff and also especially from his locally situated children and grandchildren, who knew him as ‘Poppi.’ He socialized frequently at The Lamb Tavern and Casey’s in Newtown Square where he loved to share a manhattan or beer with friends. Dr. Dzwonczyk will be interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon. Arrangements are with Logan Funeral Home of Havertown. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Catholic Medical Association http://www.cathmed.org/support/   or     St. Francis Xavier - The Oratory, St. Francis Xavier Church, 2321 Green Street, Philadelphia, PA  19130-3196.