Fred and Ruthe Guenther posed for a earlier in 2016.
Credit: Submitted
Longtime veterinarian Frederick “Fred” Richard Guenther, VMD, passed away peacefully on November 25, surrounded by his loving family. He was 90 years old.
The Guenther family spent the last week of his life with him in the hospice section of St. Mary Medical Center, beginning with a gathering for his birthday until his passing away on the day after Thanksgiving.
His family said his passing is not a time to mourn but to celebrate their beloved father’s and husband’s positive life, in which cheer was spread among all who Guenther met.
In an interview, his widow, Ruthe, talked about how she felt about the time she spent with her long-time companion. “The memories are all good, which is why I think I am so calm,” she said after he died. “He was always positive.”
“He just enjoyed life and the things around him,” she said.
She has many fond memories. “I just loved everything about him,” she said. “I think we had a perfect marriage full of love expressed – I have no regrets. We have a very happy family.”
Fred Guenther, who was born Nov. 20, 1926, grew up in Philadelphia.
Credit: Submitted
Guenther grew up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Ruthe is from Mt. Holly, New Jersey, where they were married in 1951. They had met on a blind date. “My rule was not to kiss a man on the first date,” Ruthe said, “but for him, I decided if he wanted to kiss, I would let him.” Gentleman Fred did not impose to try.
The Guenther family’s home on Richboro Road in Newtown Township was also the first site of Dr. Guenther’s veterinary practice. He founded and built the Newtown Veterinary Hospital on Newtown-Yardley Road (now Margiotti & Kroll Pediatrics) in 1969; a small animal practice still thriving at another location within the Newtown Commons. In 2001, the couple retired to Chandler Hall Cottages in Newtown Township.
Dr. and Mrs. Guenther have five children –Donald, 64; Gretchen, 62; David, 59; Bruce, 57; and Mark, 53.
They each have special memories of their father.
They all enjoyed going on farm calls with their father who provided veterinary care for cows, horses and other farm animals during the first twenty years of his practice.
Gretchen enjoyed those farm calls, where she might help to deliver a cow, as well as, having access to what happened in the at-home office. She would get to help when Caesarean sections on house dogs were necessary.
“You’d get in there and sat alongside the operating table,” she said. “We scrubbed and rubbed the puppy until it squeaked. Dad would protect one of the puppies at a time in his hand. He’d blow mouth to mouth to get it going.”
Gretchen describes her father as “warm, loving, gentle, patient — I could go on and on and on.” Looking back to her childhood, she said “there was nothing but joy.”
Gretchen and her husband, Bruce, maintain a family farm in Perkasie which was passed down to them from his parents. She continues to care for many animals with Bruce.
David also said his fondest memory of his father was going on farm calls with him in their family’s Saab.
David said. “We’d be going on the back small roads and farm lanes of Bucks County. He would let us steer from his lap. He’d let us use the stethoscope. It was nice on farm calls.”
Though, “He’d have the scratchy radio on public radio. It was always hard to hear because it was such a bad signal. And he would smoke a cigar sometimes,” David said.
He described his father as “very patient, understanding, easy going and not easily riled.”
Fred and Ruthe were married in Mt. Holly, N.J. in 1951.
Credit: Submitted
Donald Guenther, the eldest of the five Guenther children, was a big Phillies fan. (And still is.) “He took me to my first game,” he said. “That was special. It was just him and I. I was just 10. Being in the park itself was kind of magical.
Donald remembers his Dad as “fair and patient, I can remember him only being angry just one time in my entire life. He was considerate, intelligent, gentle, inventive and cool under pressure.”
He remembers when his father “appeared out of nowhere,” to help when Bill Lownes, one of Donald’s friends from the neighborhood, had a serious bike accident. “Bill injured himself,” he said. “Dad got him to the hospital. It had the potential of being life-threatening. He acted quite quickly.”
Like his siblings, Mark Guenther has extensive fond memories of his father. “How do you pick?” he asked.
“We played ping pong every night,” he said. “He used to play me left-handed when I was not good –when I was starting out. Then he shifted to his right hand. Then, he played with both hands. It took years until I finally got a chance to beat him. He taught me perseverance and that practice paid off.”
The youngest of the Guenther clan, he remembers his father’s antics at a Back-to-School Night. “He used to do gymnastics in college,” Mark said. “At school, they had the high bar set up, Dad was eyeing it up.”
“We said: ‘Don’t you dare!’ But, he started going around and around. His glasses fell off. His keys came out of his pocket and the change went flying. The whole room stopped and watched this crazy man swing. The bar would bend — he was tall. I remember being embarrassed and proud at the same time.”
His sons, grandsons and great-grandson honored Fred Guenther by wearing his signature bowties and boutonnieres at his memorial service.
Credit: Submitted
Son Bruce recounted, that after a medical procedure in early November was cancelled due to the condition of Fred’s heart, Dad’s physician asked if he had his papers in order. “Dad said he was kind of looking forward to what comes next.”
Ruthe Guenther said the way her husband put it ‘He was waiting to be surprised.”
Bruce said, “Though mentally, I don’t think we saw any expressions of ‘This is too much for me. I want to go.’”
“He started hospice care November 19th,” Bruce continued. “We were told, chances are he would be done within a day, but he went all week. We figured it was so we could to all be together for Thanksgiving again.
“He was looking forward to what comes next, but I don’t think he wanted to leave Mom and the rest of us behind,” Bruce said.
“Although he may be gone, our memories will remain forever in our hearts,” said Mark. “He was proud of all of us and we were proud of him. It was a good life, well lived!”
