Longtime New Milford Resident Walter Frederick Lahvis, M.D., Passed Away

NEW MILFORD, CT — Walter Frederick Lahvis MD passed away December 4, 2016 after a fall in his home on Thanksgiving.Walter aka Fritz was born the son of Paul and Hildegard Lahvis in Gowanda, New York where he attended public schools. In 1952 he earned a BA degree from Hamilton College where he graduated with honors in Chemistry.

In 1956 he received his MD degree from Syracuse University and took a rotating internship and a year's residency in internal medicine at Jersey City Medical Center. He thereafter took a year's residency in orthopedic surgery at the Metropolitan Hospital in New York. In 1959 he began a family practice in his home town where he served as secretary of the hospital staff and was attending physician for the Seneca Reservation clinic.In 1960 he married Sylvia Leistyna with whom he had two sons, Garet and Matthew.

In 1964 the family moved to New Milford, Connecticut where he set up a family practice. There he was elected chief of Staff and served on the hospital executive committee in various capacities. He was also a charter member of the Board of Family Practice. In 1984 he and his wife moved to Wilmington, Delaware where he took a position with the Health Care Center of Delaware. After his retirement in 1996, he continued to work with a pharmacological research program for Health Corp and served as a volunteer for the Henrietta Johnson Clinic and later for the Claymont Community center. In 2000 he was called out of retirement to be a medical consultant for the Department of Health and Social Services for the State of Delaware, and later became its medical director.

He leaves his wife, two sons, and five grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at First and Central Presbyterian Church in the Spring.

For online condolences, please visit,CHANDLER FUNERALHOMES & CREMATORY chandlerfuneralhome.com.