Dr. Richard Kerber, 77Dr. Richard E. Kerber, 77, of Iowa City died on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics after a short illness.A Memorial Service will be held at 2 pm Sunday, November 13 at Agudas Achim Congregation, 401 East Oakdale Blvd, Coralville, Iowa, with Rabbi Jeff Portman officiating. Burial will be at Cedar Park Cemetery, Paramus, N.J. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 11:30 am, where Richard's son, Rabbi Justin Kerber, BCC, will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to The Richard Kerber Project Art Music Fund, to help support music at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, in care of the University of Iowa Foundation, PO Box 4550, Iowa City IA 52244, or to the American Civil Liberties Union, either directly or in care of Lensing Funeral Service, PO Box 167, Iowa City IA 52244.Richard was born on May 10, 1939 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of Max and Pauline (Altein) Kerber. He graduated from Forest Hills High School in Queens, N.Y. in 1956 and from Columbia University in 1960, the same year he married Linda Kaufman Kerber, now a retired University of Iowa professor of history. Richard earned his medical degree from
New York University in 1964. After an internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, he joined the US
Army Medical Corps and served two years as a Captain in a mobile surgical unit in Vietnam, earning the
Bronze Star in 1968. Upon his return, he completed his medical training at Stanford University Hospital and joined the University of Iowa's medical faculty in 1971, eventually becoming Director of Echocardiography, heading a fellowship program, and serving a term as interim chief of the Cardiology Division.Committed to caring for his patients, Richard also pursued research on cardiac defibrillation and resuscitation -- the use of electric therapy to treat cardiac arrest, or heart attacks. He authored more than 250 articles, two books and more than 330 abstracts. He served as president of the American Society of Echocardiography. His awards included, in 2001, the American Heart Association's Scientific Councils Distinguished Achievement Award.Richard also was a devoted clarinet player and bicyclist, participating in several orchestras and chamber music groups, and countless RAGBRAIs. He was a member of Agudas Achim Congregation.Surviving are Richard's wife Linda; son Ross and wife Nancy of Hingham Mass.; son Justin and wife Hope of St. Louis; grandchildren Hannah, Ruthie, Elijah and Daniel; and his brother Melvin Kerber and wife Cheryl of Queens, N.Y.Online condolences may be left for the family at
www.lensingfuneral.com.
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