Portrait
Dr. Willard C. Mengel
Dr. Mengel Dies of Heart Attack
Camden Courier-Post —
Eye Specialist Stricken in Bank Lobby; Practiced Here 20 Years
Stricken with a heart attack while in the lobby of the Camden Trust Company yesterday, Dr. Willard C. Mengel, eye specialist and surgeon, was pronounced dead at Cooper Hospital after another physician had vainly struggled to revive him. He was 46.
Dr. Mengel had his home and office at 400 Penn street and practiced in Camden for 20 years. For 15 years he was on the Wills Eye hospital staff in Philadelphia, and was one of the chief surgeons at the hospital for the past three years.
He collapsed in the bank shortly before 3 p. m., and bank employes sent for Dr. Thomas M. Kain, who worked over him for some time. Observing no sign of revival, Dr. Kain ordered him taken to Cooper hospital.
Dr. Mengel had not complained of feeling ill at any time. He had a large practice and had put in long hours in his office and with his hospital work.
Dr. Mengel was born in Treverton, Pa., where his father, Dr. J. S. Mengel practiced. He was graduated from Albright College in 1917, and in 1921 from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School where he took a post-graduate course in 1922 and in that year came to Camden.
An assistant professor of ophthalmology in the Graduate School of Medicine at his alma mater university, Dr. Mengel was author of numerous articles on eye diseases. He wrote frequently for the Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey.
At the time of his death Dr. Mengel was senior assistant surgeon at the Wills hospital, and ophthalmologist to the Camden County General Hospital. He was a fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otalaryngology, and of the American Medical Association. He was a member of the Camden County and New Jersey Medical Societies, and Trimble Lodge 117, FAM.
He is survived by a brother, Dr. John Mengel, of Lebanon, Pa., and a sister, Mrs. Anna Lukenbill, of Reading, Pa.
Coroner Arthur H. Holl issued a certificate of death. Funeral services will be held at 1.30 p. m. Sunday in the funeral home of Joseph H. Murray and Son, 408 Cooper street, with viewing Saturday night. Burial will be in Odd Fellows cemetery, Shamokin, Pa., on Monday.