Obituary of Dr. Everett F. Oesterling

Oesterling

Dr. Everett F. “Skip” Jr.

Passed peacefully from this life on Friday, March 15, 2019.  He was born in Butler, PA on August 7, 1935, the son of Everett Sr. and Emma Constance Oesterling.   He is survived by his beloved wife of 44 years, Joyce; sons Everett III, Eric Scott Sr. and Dr. Robert D. Wallace; grandchildren Eric Scott Jr., Nicole Oesterling, Lauren Dowling, Reid Lentz, Jim Lentz and Ian Wallace; great-grandchildren Sebastian and Anastasia Dowling and Elijah Lentz; and sister Alice Ann O’Brien.  Skip was raised in Munhall during WWII, where he attended elementary school and started in Boy Scouting.  He went on to Indiana High where he was a member of the varsity football and wrestling teams and earned his Eagle Scout badge and Pro Deo et Patria awards prior to graduating in 1953.  He graduated with a BS degree from Juanita College in 1957 prior to enrolling in Jefferson Medical College where he graduated with his MD degree in 1961.  After a one year internship he returned to Jefferson Medical College Hospital for a four year residency in Pathology under the direction of acclaimed pathologist Dr. Peter Herbut, and a clinical preceptorship in Nuclear Medicine.  His practice started at Altoona Hospital in 1968 as an associate pathologist, supervisor of the pathology residents, and founder and director of their first Department of Nuclear Medicine, where he introduced the fourth gamma camera in Pennsylvania. While in Altoona, he founded their Medical Explorers program with twelve members, all of whom went on to medical school.  From there he went to Indiana Hospital in 1968 to become director of the laboratory and pathologist as well as founder and first Director of Nuclear Medicine.  In that lab he introduced the fourth 37 tube gamma camera in the country.  While in Indiana he became the County Coroner and a part time full professor in the schools of medical and safety sciences at IUP.  While on the faculty he met Joyce, a very busy member of the music department teaching voice majors.  After much coaxing, she agreed to private voice lessons, leading to their marriage on August 17, 1974.  As newlyweds, the couple established their first home in Greentree and he joined Pathology and Nuclear Medicine Associates of Pittsburgh, providing pathology services to Ohio Valley, Passavant and St. John’s Hospitals.  At OVGH and St. John’s, he became Director of their Nuclear Medicine programs and introduced the first two gamma cameras to the medical

community in Western PA.  He added a computer to the camera at OVGH and offered the first SPECT imaging in the area which quickly resulted in an active practice in nuclear cardiology.  Because of the latter he was a founding member of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and was the Nuclear Medicine consultant to the Medical Affairs Committee of PA Blue Shield, where he was a major contributor to their Nuclear Medicine Medicare regulations.  He was active as an adjunct Professor of Laboratory and Nuclear Medicine Technologies at CCAC. His design for the isotopes department at OVGH became a showpiece which was visited by many physicians and technologists, including a prominent radiologist from Sao Paulo, Brazil.  For weeks during one summer he tutored seven professors of nuclear medicine from the China mainland in the use of the gamma camera and computer system.  He held many offices during his years in practice including the Presidencies of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and the OVGH Medical Staff.  Despite his active practice schedule he always found time to enjoy and support the arts.  He developed expertise in his favorite art form, photography, and had many of his images published and exhibited.  He hoped to retire to a life as a photographer after he left his hospital practice in the spring of 2008, an event resulting in a letter of recognition from Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll for his years of service to the people of Pennsylvania.  His expertise in pulmonary pathology was recognized throughout much of the country and his clients continued to request his help in difficult cases of occupational lung diseases which occupied most of his time in his last years.  Funeral and Interment private.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Skip’s name to the Pittsburgh Symphony or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.  Condolences may be left at www.mccabebrothers.com