Martin Beller Obituary, Death – On the evening of June 6, 2023, Dr. Martin L. Beller of Gaines, Pennsylvania, passed away at his home. In terms of age, he was 99. Marty’s wife of almost 70 years, Wilma Kjelgaard Beller, died in 2020 at the age of 102, predeceasing him. Alan, Trixie, and Peter (and their spouses Bob and Adriane), as well as their ten grandchildren (named Elizabeth, Ruth, Tim, John, Ned, David, Jake, Melanie, William, and Hannah), seven great-grandchildren (named Lauren, Clementine, Henry, Leslie, Marielle, Francis, and Bruce), as well as his sister Barbara and many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews, survive him.
There’s no denying Marty’s intelligence or talent as a surgeon or his stature as a devoted friend and respected member of the medical community and wider society. He was a loving husband to Wilma, a fantastic dad to his kids, and a dedicated grandpa and great-grandpa to his family. He was a respected business associate and a major influence for good in the lives of those around him. He was a dedicated member of the vestries of both Trinity Memorial Church in Philadelphia’s historic district and St. Paul’s Church in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.
Despite his many accomplishments, Marty also possessed a wicked sense of humor. Marty valued the time he spent sharing and receiving jokes and laughing with his loved ones. His influence and effect on those who knew him were profound.Marty’s dedication to research and professional growth was consistent throughout his career. Many articles had him as author or co-author. In 1955, he co-authored a book titled Living Bone in Health and Disease with Irvin and Raymond Stein.
At the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, he taught orthopedic surgery as a clinical professor, and at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, he headed the department of orthopedic surgery. As a fellow in the American Orthopedic Society’s distinguished American-British-Canadian Traveling Fellowship program in 1963, he spent time in Great Britain. When Marty finally retired, he and Wilma made the move to be closer to Wilma’s old stomping grounds in Gaines.
Wilma and Marty lived in Gaines for more than 30 years, during which time they made many friends and showered their increasing brood of grandchildren with unconditional love and support. Their grandchildren came to visit frequently, and there was nothing they enjoyed more than doting on and spoiling their grandparents. These grandkids, now aged 33 to 44, count it as a great fortune that they were able to grow up in an environment where they were loved and supported by their beautiful grandparents. Funerals and burials are personal matters. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wellsboro will host a memorial service at a later date. Donations to a charity of the family’s choosing are preferred over flowers.