John H. Rorke III ’59

John Rorke, an early practitioner of ultrasound diagnostic imaging, died of lung cancer on Oct. 18, 2000, at his home in Glenmoore, Pa.

Born in Reading, Pa., John attended the Hill School, where he was a member of the Cum Laude Society. He majored in biology at Princeton, taking his meals at Key and Seal. Following graduation he received his medical degree from the U. of California. He served in the Army from 1967­69, and completed a residency in neurology at Thomas Jefferson U. Hospital in 1973. Practicing as a neurologist, John soon turned his attention to ultrasound diagnostic imaging, a field that had gained recognition in the 1960s for its ability to determine the gender of fetuses and detect birth defects.

John practiced both neurology and ultrasound initially, but caseload demands in the latter field caused him to give up neurology. For more than 15 years John oversaw the ultrasound laboratory at Chester County [Pa.] Hospital. In 1992 he started his own practice in West Chester, remaining there until shortly before his death.

The class extends its sympathies to John's wife, Cheryl; his son, Josh; his daughter, Jennifer Nadeau; his mother, Isabel Rorke; and four grandchildren.

The Class of 1959