M. Pesnel MD

GLENMONT - M. Edwin Pesnel, MD, 95, died on Monday, May 7, 2012 at the St. Peter's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Born in New York City October 17, 1916, he moved to Albany with his family in 1926. He attended CBA, Cornell University, where he was a proud member of Phi Sigma Kappa, and Albany Medical College. He served in the U.S. Army, 518th Medical Clearing Company, landing in Normandy June 21, 1944 and served as Medical Director at Camp Etzel, a Polish Displaced Persons Camp. On returning to Albany, he began his residency at Albany Medical Hospital and in 1948 began his private practice. He was a patient, "old fashioned", caring doctor who loved his patients and profession. He was an attending pediatrician at Albany Medical Center, St. Peter's Hospital, Memorial Hospital, Childs Hospital and Brady Hospital, as well as a longtime volunteer at St. Margaret's Home. After 26 years, he retired from private practice to become Chief of Pediatrics at St. Peter's Hospital, retiring on his 70th birthday. He was also a Professor of Pediatrics at Albany Medical College and a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics. As his eyesight declined, he found a new cause - training other people who suffered with macular degeneration. Over the years he has been recognized by many organizations, including Easter Seals, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Foundation, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and the Board of Albany Medical Center. He was a devoted parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Church where he was a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Religious Education committee. In the last few years, he suffered with the darkness of Alzheimer's Disease and lived at Hawthorne Ridge and St. Peter's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. A special thank you to all of the staffs for their years of loving care. Dr. Pesnel is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Irene (Guski) Pesnel; his daughter, Susan Vintschger of Morristown, NJ, her husband Franz, and their children Danielle and Derek; and his son Jeffrey Pesnel of Glenmont, his wife Dorothy and their children, Jeffrey, Jr., Lisa, Jonathan, Elizabeth and Catherine as well as numerous great grandchildren. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday from 4 to 7 pm at the Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday at 9:30 am at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Delmar. Entombment will be in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter's Hospital Foundation, 319 So. Manning Blvd., Albany NY 12208 or St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 35 Adams Pl., Delmar, NY 12054.