Abraham Thaler

Abraham Thaler, 96, of Clearwater, Fla., died June 30, 2015. Born in New York City, he lived in Cranford for 10 years, Iselin for 40 years, and Tennessee for three years before moving to Clearwater five years ago. 

He served in the U.S. Army and worked on the Manhattan Project for five years, helping to develop the atomic bomb that ended World War II. He also served at the national nuclear laboratories at Los Alamos and Alamogordo, NM, and Oak Ridge, Tenn. 

He began his medical practice first in Cranford for 10 years, where he also served as town physician, and then in Iselin for over 40 years, before retiring 16 years ago. He was one of the first doctors to employ hypnosis in his practice, before it was even a recognized treatment, and hypnotized over 20,000 people. He was a founding doctor of Union Hospital and was named a “Doctor Emeritus” with permanent privileges by JFK Medical Center, Edison. He also held a license as a stockbroker. 

He held degrees in chemical and electrical engineering from New York University. He later earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

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He was a founding member of Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim of Cranford and a member of Knights of Pythias, Roth Lodge of Essex and Union Counties. He was also active with Chabad in Iselin. 

Predeceased by his wife, Zenith, he is survived by two sons, Ted (Andrea) of Nashville, Tenn., and Jeffrey of Clearwater; his daughter, Sandy Thaler (Steven) Gerber of Westfield; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. 

Services were held July 3 with arrangements by Ross’ Shalom Chapels, Springfield.