Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel (1955 - 2016)
Obituary
Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel, 60, of
Marblehead, Massachusetts, passed away on the morning of March 30,
2016, after a courageous three-year fight with ovarian cancer.
Born in North Newton, she was the
eldest daughter of Arnold and Dolores Wedel.
Suzanne was raised in her beloved
Kansas, attended Newton High School and graduated from Bethel
College.
She later graduated from medical school
at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and continued as a
resident in the Internal Medicine Program.
She then moved to Baltimore, Maryland,
to perform a critical care fellowship at the Maryland Institute for
Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) - known to the world as
"Shock Trauma, Baltimore" - one of the world's premier
trauma units.
Shortly after completing her
fellowship, she moved to Boston with her husband, Alasdair Conn, a
trauma surgeon whom she met in Baltimore.
Dr. Wedel worked at Boston City
Hospital and Boston University Hospital before assuming the role of
CEO and medical director of Boston MedFlight; a position she
indicated she would fulfill for only one year, but stayed on for the
following 26 years.
Under her tutelage and guidance,
MedFlight became one of the premier life flight programs in the
country and grew from one helicopter to four, with an expansion into
critical care ground transport and long distance transfers by
dedicated medically configured airplanes that transport more than
3,500 patients a year.
Dr. Wedel was a decisive leader,
patient advocate, and yet remained the kind of doctor you would want
to care for members of your family.
Despite all of her professional
accomplishments, Suzanne will be most remembered for her ability to
touch and transform the lives of others. She participated in the
community through her Old North Church in Marblehead, Massachusetts
and was involved with the activities of her children, all of whom
graduated from Tower School and Marblehead High School.
She was an accomplished pianist and
loved classical music and opera. An avid sports fan, Suzanne was
regularly seen donning the colors of her favored KU Jayhawks. She
also enjoyed bicycle trips in Europe with her husband and friends, as
well as local get-togethers with her book club.
Her compassion, thoughtfulness, and
ability to be there for others in both good times and bad will always
be treasured by those who knew her.
Following Suzanne's diagnosis in late
2012, she used her tenacity and leadership to become an outspoken
advocate for awareness and early detection of ovarian cancer.
She passionately spearheaded a series
of fundraising events, most notably the Suzanne Wedel XOXOut Ovarian
Cancer fund, which takes its name from the "xoxo" she added
while signing personal letters and e-mail.
Dr. Wedel is survived by her parents,
Arnold and Dolores Wedel of North Newton; her sister, Janine Wedel of
Washington D.C; her brother Edward Wedel of Jefferson City Missouri;
her husband Alasdair Conn of Marblehead; her children: Kathryn,
Christopher and Alexander; as well as Kathryn's fiancé, Arun Nair of
Baltimore.
Arrangements will include a memorial
service, which will be held at the Old North Church, 35 Washington
Street, Marblehead, Massachusetts, on April 30, 2016 at 11 a.m.
To reflect Suzanne's wish that the
service be a celebration of her life, we encourage attendees to wear
spring colors to the event.
In lieu of flowers, Suzanne requested
that expressions of sympathy be made to the Suzanne Wedel XOXOut
Ovarian Cancer Fund at Massachusetts General Hospital or to Boston
MedFlight at BostonMedFlight.org.
Arrangements by Eustis and Cornell of
Marblehead. Please visit the online guestbook for Dr. Wedel at
www.eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com
