Dr Stanley Buchalter: STANLEY Buchalter was a well known and popular GP who practised single-handed from his home in Artane, Dublin 5, for 55 years.
He was born in Dublin in 1926 and attended at St Andrew’s College and High School. His father, Maurice, was born in Latvia (then part of Russia) and came to Dublin in 1900 with his father Mathias, who was recruited as cantor to the Dublin Hebrew Congregation. He and his family were fleeing from the pogroms raging at that time in Eastern Europe.
Stanley entered medical school in TCD and graduated MB, BCh in 1950. He also distinguished himself as a lightweight boxing champion, rowed in a lightweight eight, and was a drummer in a jazz band.
After qualifying, he undertook postgraduate training in Louth, Lincolnshire, and Redhill, Surrey. He spent two great years as a ship’s doctor on merchant vessels plying to South America, before settling as a GP in Artane,close to the roundabout.
In 1956 he married Cynthia Shapiro from Belfast and they had two sons, Maurice (Ricky) and Ian, both of whom followed him into medicine, one as a cardiologist and GP respectively. Cynthia, who ably managed both the home and the practice, died suddenly in 1999.
Stanley was a founder member and president of the North Dublin Medical Club and chairman of the GP section of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland. He loved walking and an occasional round of golf at Edmondstown Golf Club.
His other interest was music; he was a regular attender at the National Concert Hall and was a member of the Bohemians.
He is survived by his two sons, and by a sister, Blanche Handleman. His brother Don, a Dublin solicitor, predeceased him in 2006.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Eibhlín Byrne, headed a large attendance of family, friends and patients at Stanley’s funeral and interment, which took place on January 1st at the Jewish Cemetery in Dolphin’s Barn.
Stanley was a Dubliner and northsider true and true, with all the sparkling repartee and wit that implies. He told me some time ago that he wondered if there was a life hereafter, as he had been taught, and sought the advice of a wise rabbi whom he knew well enough to ask such a question.
The rabbi was slow to reply, so Stanley patiently repeated the question. The eventual response was: “Stanley, we’ll just have to wait and see!”
Stanley no longer has to wait. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dilis.
B.MacG.