Stremple

Dr. John Francis Stremple, M.S., M.D., F.A.C.S., M.S. (Anatomy), M.S. (Immunology), and professor emeritus of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, lieutenant colonel retired, died suddenly on Dec. 5, 2022, at the age of 87. He resided in Middlesex Township, Butler County.

He was the beloved husband for 63 years of Carole Putzler Stremple.

He was the loving father of John (Nancy) Stremple, Paul (Julia) Stremple, Carolyn Bennett and Margaret (Remko) Breuker; and the dear grandfather of Sophie, John Devon, Ari, Candace, Owen, Lily, Pieter, Sander and Emily.

Dr. Stremple was born in Chicago, Ill. on Oct. 26, 1935, and was the son of the late John Frank and Elizabeth Stremple.

He attended Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill., and graduated with honors. He was Phi Beta Kappa in biology and chemistry. He received his master’s in anatomy and physiology at the University of Illinois Medical School. He received his M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1963, under Edwin Ellison M.D., where he also taught gross anatomy. He did his internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was a Halsted surgical intern under Alfred Blalock M.D.

During his surgical residency, he obtained an M.S. in immunochemistry and molecular biology and developed the gastrin immunoassay.

In 1968, he entered the U.S. Army and was assigned to WRAIR, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Surgical Trauma Team. He was sent to South Vietnam to do research on stress ulcer and trauma surgery. When he returned to Walter Reed, he was chief of experimental surgical research. He was awarded the Bronze Star for serving in Vietnam.

After the Army, he became chief of surgery at the VAMC Pittsburgh and professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He had a private practice and was an associate professor of anatomy, where the residents called him Coach! In 1973, he published a book, “The Stress Ulcer Syndrome,” which was dedicated to the soldiers who died or who were wounded in Vietnam. As chief of surgery, he instituted liver transplant at the VA with Thomas Starzl M.D. and Henry Bahnson M.D. in 1989. He created the Spinal Cord Clinic and the Women’s Veterans Clinic.

In 1992-93, he was president of the National AVAS and member of the Surgical Advisory Committee, who regularly met with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the VA Central Office of Surgery. In 1995, he was presented the Distinguished Service Award from the AVAS in recognition of his years of outstanding support of the AVAS and service to the Department of Veteran Affairs. Also in 1995, he hosted the AVAS 19th Annual Surgical Symposium in Pittsburgh, which included a trip to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water,” a World Heritage Site. He was the medical director of the first and second Stand Down for homeless veterans.

He was elected president of the Pittsburgh Surgical Society, (1989-90). He was a member of the American Medical Association and also a founding member of the Equestrian Helmet Safety Committee. He was elected member of 20 surgical and medical societies including the American Surgical Society. During his career, he published 60 peer reviewed papers. He was a founding member of the research team that developed the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, NSQIP, currently used by the American College of Surgeons and called, ACS (NSQIP).

Dr. Stremple retired in 1999. In retirement, he had been active in training and competing Dressage horses. One of which competed at the Grand Prix level.

STREMPLE — Friends of John Francis Stremple, who died Dec. 5, 2022, will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at SCHELLHAAS FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, 5864 Heckert Road, Bakerstown.

Private interment with military honors will be held at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at www. stjude.org; or Animal Friends at www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org.

Please offer condolences at www.schellhaasfh.com.

Please sign the guest book at www.butlereagle.com.