Dr. William R. Woolner, of Jefferson, passed away peacefully on Jan. 27 at Miles Memorial Hospital with his wife and family at his side.
Dr. Woolner was born on July 12, 1917, in Peoria, Ill. His mother was Marion Wallerstein and his father was Seymour Woolner. As a child, in the 1920s, his family lived in Connecticut and New York City. He attended Horace Mann School, graduating in 1933. For undergraduate studies, he attended Yale University, New Haven, Conn. and graduated in 1937. Subsequently he enrolled in the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va. and graduated in 1941. Dr. Woolner then interned at Bellevue (Cornell Medical Division) in New York City and Jersey City Medical Center in N.J.
In 1943 he entered the Army as a Captain to fight in WWII. He served as Battalion Surgeon with the 27th Combat Engineers Battalion in southwest Pacific, where he served in combat in New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon for two years. He received decorations that include the Asiatic-Pacific theatre ribbon for invasion of Dutch New Guinea, American Theatre Ribbon; WWII Victory Medal, and Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one battle star.
After the war, in 1946, he returned to New York City and undertook a residency in Internal Medicine at Mt. Sinai in New York. William started practice in New York City in 1948, and in 1949 began his medical practice at White Plains Hospital Medical Center, White Plains, N.Y. 1954-1994, and at St. Agnes Hospital, while still an attending physician at Mt. Sinai.
Dr. Woolner moved to Westchester in early 1950s and he resided in Bronxville, Hartsdale and Scarsdale, N.Y. until in 1999 when he moved to Jefferson.
While in Westchester, he was an attending physician at White Plains Hospital Medical Center 1954 to 1994. He became a Board Member at White Plains Hospital Medical Center 1960-1994 and was also a Board Member at the Westchester Jewish Community Services for 30 years, and a member of the New York Academy of Medicine (Westchester Division). He was a member of Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale. Dr. Woolner and his wife moved to Jefferson in 1999. Since moving to Maine he was a member of St. Patrick’s Church in Newcastle. He was also a member of the Bunker Hill Grange in Jefferson.
He is survived by his wife, Joan Adams-Woolner; sister, Mary Kaufman; daughters, Victoria Samuels, Cate Woolner, and Justine Woolner-Wise; step-daughters, Theresa Stevens, Patricia Adams, and Claire Adams; ten grandchildren; and his Uncle Leon and Laura Wallerstein of Erie, Penn.
Mass of Christian burial to celebrate his life 11 a.m., Thurs., Feb. 12 at St. Patrick’s Church, Newcastle.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta.
