By Karen Andrew
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Surgeon and military veteran Dr. Harold Moskovitz died Dec. 10 at Madeira Health Care Center. The Amberley Village resident was 84.

He was born in 1919 in Boston to Rose and Morris Moskovitz, immigrants from eastern Europe, who believed strongly in education. The family moved to Burlington, Vt. where their son graduated from high school at age 16. He earned his PhD in social sciences in 1940 from the University of Vermont, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He followed his older brother, Abraham, (of Lynnfield, Mass.) into the study of medicine.

In 1944, he graduated from University of Vermont Medical School. He interned at Queens General Hospital, Long Island, N.Y. from 1944-45.

He was drafted into the Army in 1945 and was stationed in the Philippines as a division surgeon in the medical corps.

In 1947, he moved to Cincinnati where he served a four-year residency in surgery at Jewish Hospital. There he met student nurse Helene "Tootsie" Schwartz, whom he married in 1951.

He received a fellowship for cancer and allied disease study at Memorial Hospital in New York and another while in the Army, for plastic surgery in 1946 at Baker General Hospital, West Virginia.

Dr. Moskovitz was called back to active duty for the Korean war in 1953 and served as assistant chief of surgery at the U.S. Army Hospital, Aberdeen, Md.

He returned to Cincinnati in 1954 and began his surgical practice. He was chief of surgery 1956-77 and trained surgical residents at the former Longview State Hospital. He was in private practice from 1951-94.

"He was a dedicated physician," said his friend and colleague, Dr. Leonard Burgin of Blue Ash. "He was devoted to medicine. He was always available and gave personal service to his patients."

Sylvia Rosenthaler of Loveland, a registered nurse who worked on the surgery floor at Jewish Hospital, said they called Dr. Moskovitz "Dr. Marcus Welby" because he was kind and caring, just like the character on the 1969 -76 TV program.

"He would operate in the morning, and call back about a dozen times to find out how the patient was. He wanted his patients to get the very best. One of the most caring doctors I've every worked with."

Memberships included the Cincinnati Academy of Medicine, American Board of Surgery, Cincinnati Surgical Society, Ohio State Medical Association and American Medical Association.

He received an award for his 50-year affiliation with the Academy.

He and his wife enjoyed traveling.

In addition to his wife of 52 years and his brother, survivors include two sons, Jay of North Avondale and Bruce of Los Angeles; a daughter, Sue Paul of Louisville; and four grandchildren.

Services have been held.

Memorials: Madeira Health Care Center, Activities Department, 6940 Stiegler Lane, Madeira, OH 45243 or to the charity of one's choice.

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E-mail kandrew@enquirer.com