Dr. Thorsten Stephan, 82, and beloved father, died peacefully on May 1, 2021, in Greensboro, N.C. Dr. Stephan was born in Liegnitz, Germany on July 30, 1939. His mother, sister and he escaped to West Germany and settled in Lüneburg, a suburb of Hamburg. The son of Ingeborg (Gottschalk) Stephan and Dietrich Stephan, he lost his father in World War II and was raised by his mother and grandmother.
After medical school in Freiburg, he married Aziza Rahim and they came to the USA for his internship, where he and Aziza had two children, Dietrich Stephan of Pittsburgh, and Mariam Stephan of Greensboro, N.C. After the death of Aziza in 1976, he became a single father while continuing to work as an endocrinologist in private practice, first back in Bad Sachsa, Germany, then back at Shadyside Hospital, Pittsburgh, where he met Lee Saunders and later remarried. He was a dedicated physician who prioritized mind as well as body and took personal interest in the welfare of his patients, many of whom became close friends. His life-long interests in philosophy, religious discourse and the arts were points of intellectual and emotional fulfillment. Throughout the years, he also practiced in Uniontown, Pa., Morgantown and with the Joslin Clinic in Pittsburgh.
In addition to his two children and three grandchildren, he is survived by his sister, Inken Wedekind in Göttingen, Germany. He was a true gentleman, and will be remembered for his generosity, charm and humor.
A virtual memorial will be held at 1 p.m. EST/New York Saturday, July 3, and can be attended by going to https://tinyurl.com/u2hzxste.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either the UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency supporting Afghanistan, or the American Philosophical Association (please refer to funeral home website for donation links). Arrangements by John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. Pittsburgh.
Condolences:
freyvogelfuneralhome.com
