Dr. Murray L. Nusbaum M.D.

Dr. Murray L. Nusbaum, M.D., age 91, died on Thursday, December 19, 2013 after a long and well-lived life, each and everyday of which was lived to the fullest. His passing occurred in his private residence at the Acacia Village, surrounded by those who loved him most in this world. At the time of his death, Dr. Nusbaum was the Program and Medical Director of the Ferre Institute where he focused on raising awareness about the importance of family health history for individual and family health. He was also Medical Advisor to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District II (New York) and Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, New York. Dr. Nusbaum was born in Utica on February 22, 1922, the son of the late Morris and Ann (Freeman) Nusbaum. He graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and earned a Medical Doctorate degree from Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland Ohio, after which he was certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A proud veteran of the United States Navy, he honorably served his country during World War II and the Korean War. It was during his internship in Portland, Oregon that he met and fell in love with a beautiful nurse. Her name was Bridgetta – also known as “Bettie”, and on July 31, 1949, the couple was married, sharing over 60 years together. After residencies in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pathology and Surgery in Cleveland, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Nusbaum returned home to practice medicine. Since 1980, he has been a professor at SUNY Health Science Center. And, in 1993, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District II (New York) Junior Fellows awarded Dr. Nusbaum the Special Outstanding Professor Award. Dr. Nusbaum was a tireless champion for Women’s Health. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women, honored him with the President’s Community Service Award and the Outstanding District Service Award. For his work on behalf of Women’s Health in New York State, ACOG District II, where he served as Chairman and Medical Advisor, awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. He chaired numerous committees at both the national and state ACOG organizations including the national Council of District Chairmen and Committee on International Affairs as well as the state Committee on Underserved Women. At ACOG, he worked with UNICEF to bring medical journals to countries which did not have access to the newest information about Science and Medicine. He was also the program director for the first and later annual Rural Women’s Health Care Symposium in Alexandria Bay, New York. Additionally, he lectured, wrote, and spoke about Women’s Health at government summits and hearings, professional medical meetings, hospital grand rounds, forums for lawyers, and on radio, television, and the internet. Always interested in how the quality of health care could be improved, Dr. Nusbaum found international travel particularly meaningful. He traveled to Norway for an International Conference of Interns and Medical students, to France and Italy to lecture about Women's Health, to Russia with the Tula Albany Alliance, and to Cuba with People to People. Understanding health care in other countries gave him insight into bettering health care at home. Dr. Nusbaum was enthusiastic about Utica, the Adirondacks, and Upstate New York. He set up medical and health care programs for the area including Mid-York Fertility and the Clinical Medical Network to bring physicians to the area and support their practices. He was an advisor to the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory. Dr. Nusbaum was a member and past president of the Central New York Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Central New York Academy of Medicine which recognized his service with the Scroll Award. He served on the Board of Utica College which presented him with an Honorary Alumnus Award in 1980. Over a lifetime, he has summered in the Adirondacks since he was a boy scout, farmed the Mohawk Valley, and skied the Tug Hill Plateau and the Parkway. He was proud to call this area his home. His family, Bettie, Devra, and Korrine Nusbaum are very grateful to the community for their affection and support for Dr. Nusbaum who was, to them, most importantly, husband and father. Too numerous to mention are the many others who blessed and enriched his life. Dr. Nusbaum’s loved ones bid their farewells in a private gathering. A memorial service in celebration of his life will be held at a later date and time. If you would like to remember Dr. Nusbaum, please consider a donation to the MLN (Dr. Murray L. Nusbaum) Scholarship Fund at Utica College, 1600 Burrstone Rd., Utica, NY 13502. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc., 932 South St., corner of Hammond Ave.

Dr. Murray L. Nusbaum M.D.

February 22, 1922 - December 19, 2013