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George Noble Bedell
May 1, 1922 - January 20, 2007
From
the Cedar
Rapids Gazette Online
IOWA CITY - George Noble Bedell, 84,
of 803 Highwood St., died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2006, at home surrounded by his
family following a prolonged illness. Friends may greet the family from 4 to
7 p.m. Wednesday at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City. A
memorial service to celebrate George's life will be held in February.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established.
Dr. Bedell was born May 1, 1922, in Harrisburg, Pa., the son of George H.
and Elsie Noble Bedell. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He obtained an
under-graduate degree at DePauw University (1944) and his medical degree at
the University of Cincinnati (1946). In 1946, Dr. Bedell came to Iowa City
for his internship, earning $25 a month, room, board and laundry. He did one
year of pathology, before switching to internal medicine. Dr. Bedell was an
officer in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1948 to 1950, serving mainly in
Okinawa. He then returned to the University of Iowa to do a two-year
residency in internal medicine followed by a two-year research fellowship in
cardiology.
In 1954-1955, he did a fellowship in pulmonary physiology at the University
of Pennsylvania. When he returned to University Hospitals, he was the first
pul-monary specialist there, where he developed the pulmonary fellowship
training program. He was director of the division of pulmonary medicine from
1968-1981. His professional career was highlighted by a speaking tour of the
Middle East in the 1960s, membership in numerous professional organizations,
serving on national boards and serving as president of the Iowa Thoracic
Society. He officially retired three times, but continued to be clinically
active up until 2004, including 45 years of service at Veteran Affairs
Medical Center and more than 50 years at University Hospitals.
On Nov. 4, 1950, he married Betty Jane Goldzier in Chicago. They had five
children: David, Mark, Paul, Barbara and Bruce. In 1970, Betty died and
George remarried, to Mirriel Shields Hummel, who also had five children:
Judy, Jeff, Eric, Deborah and Andrew.
George was a doting father, looking after the well-being of his children and
grand-children right up until his death.
His neighbors recall that he was an avid gardener, especially of tree
peonies, day lilies and tulips. He was a loyal Democrat -- his service was
highlighted by being an Eugene McCarthy delegate to the 1968 Democratic
Convention in Chicago. He was a longtime member of the Unitarian Church,
active in the Worthly Club. He was chairman of the Iowa City Foreign
Relations Council, member of Grey Hawks writers group and a generous
contributor to the Iowa City Arts and many other local organizations.
He is survived by his wife, Mirriel of Iowa City; four children, David
(Ruth) Bedell of Iowa City and their children, Ruth, Alan and Tatiana; Mark
(Diane) Bedell of Iowa City and their children, Joe (Brandi), Jennifer and
Justina and great-grandson Logan; Barbara Gartner of Iowa City and her
children, Jodie and Drew; Bruce (Claudia) Bedell of Iowa City and their
sons, Jose and Mathew; five stepchildren: Judy Hummel D'Amore of Port
Townsend, Wash., and her children, Gabriel and Simone; Jeffrey (Beatrice
Gandara) Hummel of Seattle, Wash., and their children, Naomi and Leo; Eric
(Heidi) Hummel and their children, Curan, Adam and Omar of Washington, D.C.;
Deborah (Walter) Hodges of Seattle, Wash.; and Andrew (Cheryl) Hummel-Schluger
of Seattle, Wash., and their children, Sharon, Ben and Benjapon.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Betty Jane; son,
Paul; son-in-law, David Gartner; and brother, Donald.
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