Hare, a Cherry Hill resident, passed away on June 17 at the age of 86.
George T. Hare, age 86 of Cherry Hill and formerly of Haddonfield, passed away on June 17. George was the beloved husband of JoAnn (nee Mathias); loving father of Tom (Judianne) of Pennington, Patricia Hare of Cherry Hill, and the late John M.; cherished grandfather of Kyle (Brooke Green) Bragger, Erin (Chris) Fox, Kaelyn Bragger, and Cole & Charlotte Hare. He was also the treasured great grandfather of Oliver Mathias, Nolan Fox and Willa Bragger.
He was born on October 17, 1930 in Barrington. George attended Haddon Heights High School where he was a three-sport athlete excelling in baseball, basketball and football. He graduated in 1948 and was inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. After graduation, he attended Gettysburg College where he was a biology major and continued his athletic career playing basketball and baseball. Not only was he an all-state honorable mention and all-little three basketball player, but he was most proficient in baseball. Despite his role as a top starting pitcher on the baseball team, he was the cleanup hitter in the batting order. He hit safely in 14 games as a sophomore, and as the years progressed, he bombarded the fences with one home-run after the other. He jumped from a .295 hitter as a sophomore to over .400 as a senior, switching between the mound and left field. He turned down a major league offer by the Cleveland Indians in order to reach his goal of becoming a doctor.
George received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Gettysburg College in 1952 and was inducted into the Gettysburg Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. After graduating college he attended the New York Medical College and received his MD degree in 1956. He performed his residency at Thomas Jefferson Hospital Medical College in Philadelphia and internship at Cooper Medical Center in Camden. Through a distinguished medical career of more than 50 years in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, George held numerous positions as a physician and professor, including Medical Director of the Camden County Health Services Center. He established and headed the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Cooper Medical Center as well as a homebound program in geriatric medicine in inner-city Camden. He also helped establish the first palliative care unit in a long-term care facility in the state of New Jersey.
George was a long-time member of the Camden County Medical Society, served as its secretary and also became involved with the society at the national level. He served as a member of the Gettysburg Board of Fellows and his nation as a Major in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army Reserves.
He was deeply devoted to his family and anyone who really knew him could not help but respect, admire and love him dearly. He was a dedicated physician, and while there were times when he may have wondered how his life might have been different if he had he chosen to play professional sports, there is no doubt that medicine was his calling. The countless lives he touched, healed and enriched through his long career give testimony to that fact. He was an avid golfer, loved playing the slot machines in Atlantic City and hanging out with his dog and cats at home. He leaves behind many great memories and a legacy of caring, respect and commitment to excellence in everything he did.
Hare’s family received friends on Friday, June 23. at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Green St. in Haddon Heights where his Memorial Service will follow at 11 a.m. Interment was at Locustwood Cemetery in Cherry Hill.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Dr. Hare may be made to the Voorhees Animal Orphanage at 419 Cooper Rd, Voorhees Township, N.J. 08043 or online at http://www.vaonj.org.
