Theodore F. Them MD

Theodore Frederick Them, retired Guthrie physician and Chief of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, passed away peacefully on July 12, 2025, at his home in Ithaca, NY, with his daughter by his side.

Dad was born in Meshoppen, PA, in 1951. He grew up in Mechanicsburg, PA, and graduated with the class of 1968. Dad went to Gettysburg College from 1969-1973, followed by his MS and PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of New Mexico in 1975 and 1977, during which he met our mother, Julie. He was a chemist for gas companies for a few years, including starting his own company, Anachem. Dad had always wanted to be a doctor, starting at the age of 5 when he was hospitalized with scarlet fever at the Robert Packer Hospital. At the time, the hospital was undergoing construction and he heard a lot of sounds from saws and hammers. He asked the nurse what was going on and she told him it's where all the naughty children were getting their legs sawed off. This scared dad so badly that he hid under the blankets and wouldn't come out until the doctor treating him came and found him and talked to him, and told him the mean nurse was just joking. Dad never forgot that doctor and never forgot the importance of medicine in saving his life. Dad got the opportunity to pursue his true calling in 1984, attending medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in Plymouth, Montserrat, until 1987, including training at the Eastbourne District General Hospital in England. Dad completed his medical residency at the Robert Packer Hospital from 1987-1990 at the top of his class. Except for a short time in Reno, NV, where he established Tahoe Associates, a private occupational and environmental clinic, in 1995, he was a physician at the Guthrie Clinic, eventually becoming Chief of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. During this time, he also earned his Master's in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Wisconsin and countless certifications. Dad was board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Occupational and Environmental Medicine and was a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (FACOEM).

Dad was loyal to the Guthrie Clinic and to Bradford County for over 30 years. He shared Dr. Guthrie's original vision, working to advance the clinic's reputation and mission by expanding its clientele base within the region, honing and sharing his expertise in workplace health and safety across a broad industry base throughout rural Pennsylvania and New York. His focus areas were clinical and environmental toxicology, workers' compensation law, and regulatory and legal consultations. This led to unprecedented profits for the Guthrie Healthcare System at-large. As a physician, dad was rarely wrong with his differential diagnoses, and he was proud to help anyone get the medical care they needed. Although he is fondly remembered for his unrivaled abilities and contributions, and his retirement came in late 2022, his picture has yet to be placed on the wall of retired Guthrie physicians on the clinic's first floor hallway.

Dad was an avid hunter and fisherman, lover of the outdoors. He spent as much time as he could in the Pecos Wilderness during his years in New Mexico, and on family land in Bradford County, PA, the rest of the time. He loved telling us stories about going out into the Pecos for days on end to hunt elk and mule deer, and rescuing New Jersey city folk near certain death in treacherous blizzards.

Dad was both the most brilliant and most difficult person we've ever known, and with that comes incredible accomplishments and flops. We celebrate what he did for his community and what he provided to our family, especially the knowledge he shared with us during "nightly grand rounds" at the dinner table and the strong sense of ethics he instilled in us. Most of our memories of him are of him going to school, work, sleeping on the couch, and hunting or fishing, peppered with memories of gardening, listening to music, watching movies, taking home videos, and going on nature walks, traveling, and getting excited for family reunions. His legacy is the 190,000 patients he counted as taking care of - and the countless lives he saved when no one else could - and us…his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his two children, Alexis (Freeville, NY) and Teddy (Charleston, SC), and his three grandchildren Peter and Evie (Alexis's), and little Theodore (Teddy's). His mother Betty Jean Them (Towanda, PA), his brother Bill Them (Wysox, PA), and his sister Shirl Them (Scranton, PA) join us in our expressions of love and loss.

Dad was cremated at the Perkins Funeral Home in Dryden, NY, and his ashes will be released at his favorite hunting and fishing spots in Bradford County. A memorial service will not be held, per dad's wishes. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor can be made to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, or make a phone call in his honor to your government representatives to advocate for rural hospitals and clinics like Guthrie, and to advocate against the unnecessary structural dismantling of Federal programs that help these important community institutions survive.

We are forever grateful to the many, many individuals who helped us help our dad over the past couple of years as he declined, and especially in his final months and days. There are too many to name, but include friends, family, and the strangers who became both friends and family through some incredibly challenging times. Thank you to those individuals and for all those who have supported him, befriended him, and championed him throughout his life. Dad and Grandpa, we miss you.