LeRoy M. H. Steinbrecher, MD

August 11, 2013

LeRoy M. H. Steinbrecher, MD went to his eternal reward on August 11, 2013 at the State of the Heart Hospice Unit, Wayne Healthcare, Greenville, OH. He is survived by Eunice, his wife of 53 years; Georgia Leigh, a daughter residing in Souderton, PA with husband Steve Myers and sons Reid Jakob and Grant Josef; Bradley Kyle, a son residing in Arlington, VA; Kris Alan, a son residing in Cincinnati, OH with wife Connie, daughter Leah Paige, and son Nikolas Glen; Andrew Lee, a son residing in Cincinnati, OH; Lois Kauffman, a sister residing in Mechanicsburg, PA; Rolin, a brother residing in Holliston, MA with wife Grace; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Dr. Steinbrecher was born in Green, KS to the late Henry and Elizabeth Steinbrecher. He spent his childhood there until he and his family relocated to Lancaster County, PA, in 1953. He subsequently graduated from Messiah College, in Mechanicsburg, PA, Elizabethtown College, in Elizabethtown, PA, and ­Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. He completed his medical training with a four-year general surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

For six years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he served on a voluntary basis as medical director at mission hospitals in New Mexico and sub-Saharan Africa.

In 1972, Dr. Steinbrecher established a surgical practice in Greenville, OH, where he was privileged to serve the residents of Darke County for 28 years. During part of this time, he served on the Wayne Hospital board of directors and sat on the board of Pacific Lifeline, a women’s shelter in Upland, CA.

He sought challenges throughout his life and achieved many personal goals, among them: becoming a general aviation pilot, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, and completing several long-distance bicycle trips in the U.S. and Canada. He found peace in the outdoors and took great joy in caring for his lawn and the woods surrounding his home.

After his retirement in 2000, he spent many hours at the Pleasant Hill Brethren in Christ Church, where he was a long-time member. He organized and undertook numerous renovation projects, taught Sunday School, and established an audio-­visual component for the ­worship services.

He will be remembered for his love of God, his calling to serve others through the practice of surgery, and for his wisdom, determination, and quiet strength. He was a kind and gentle man, who was much loved. He will be greatly missed as husband, father, “Papa,” brother, uncle, and friend.

A private memorial service will take place at the ­convenience of the family. Burial will be at Creswell Cemetery in Lancaster County, PA, under the direction of the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory. Dr. ­Steinbrecher’s family will receive relatives and friends from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, August 17, 2013 at the Doubletree Resort by Hilton, 2400 Willow Street Pike, ­Lancaster, PA.

For those wishing to make memorial contributions, the family suggests The Steinbrecher Endowment for Research in the Health and Life Sciences at Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.