John R. Poffenberger ’42

John Poffenberger died Feb. 21, 2011, in Lebanon, N.H.

John prepared at the Horace Mann School in New York City. At Princeton he majored in biology and was a member of the choir — an early manifestation of his lifelong love of music.  

Following graduation, John enrolled in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, from which he received a medical degree in 1945. After an internship, he served as an Army doctor in Korea for two years and then returned home to work as an internist and radiologist at Uncas-on-Thames, the state hospital for chronic illness in Norwich, Conn.  

In 1945, John married Peggy Thomsen. They raised three children — daughters Nancy and Sue and a son, John Thomsen Poffenberger. After retirement in 1976, John, Peggy, and their family were able to enjoy their second home in Brookfield, Vt., and the biking, hiking, and skiing that were part of their rural life. John was able until late in his life to remain active in woodworking and furniture-making.  

To Peggy, the children, grandchildren, and a great-grandson, the class sends its sympathy.