Mervin Olinger
Dr. Mervin Goodman Olinger, 98, of Fairfield died June 17, 2016. Born in Bloomfield and formerly of Verona, he moved to Fairfield 15 years ago.
Dr. Olinger worked at Essex County Sanatorium as a pulmonary specialist before working as an internist for 54 years in Verona in private practice and for 25 years at Green Hill Memorial Home. He was also appointed as a clinical associate professor at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. From 1952 to 2001, he served in various roles at Mountainside Hospital, Montclair, as medical department director, member of the medical board, chairman of the Medical Library Committee, and Champion of Graduate Medical Education in Internal Medicine.
He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Cornell University, where he also excelled in track and field, including pole vaulting. He then graduated from Cornell University’s medical school, where he was elected to the honor medical society, Alpha Omega Alpha.
While interning at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, he was called to serve in World War II as a captain in the Army, stationed in Europe from January 1944 to July 1946. After the war, he completed his residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in pathology and bacteriology and completed further training at Bellevue Hospital in New York City.
He was an avid golfer and longtime member of Mountain Ridge Country Club, where he won many tournaments.
He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Renee (Egelka); his son, Kenneth of Dublin (Catherine O’Brien-Olinger); two daughters, Susan Olinger (Daniel Kole) of Reston, Va., and Lois Olinger (William Stewart) of Acton, Mass.; six grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Services were held June 20 with arrangements by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston. Memorial contributions may be made to Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, Whippany.
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