Back in the day — before large medical practices — young Westporters had a single pediatrician.
Some went to Dr. Beasley. Others to Dr. Shiller. Or Dr. Lebhar.
Anthony Dohanos believes this work by his father, noted Westport illustrator Stevan Dohanos, shows Dr. Neil Lebhar’s very busy office.
Is it familiar to Westporters of a certain age?
And if so, do you recognize your mother as one of the women who put on a dress — and wore heels — to take their kids for a check-up?
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Dr Lehbar steered me through many a childhood malady. Note not a Lululemon in sight!
I don’t remember going to Dr. Lebhar’s office but I do remember him making house calls and him telling my parents that I had post-nasal drip. Whatever that meant. I can still picture him 70 years later with his bag, soft voice and care. We were lucky to have him for the four children in our family.
We went to Dr. Lebhar starting in the late 1950’s, but my Mother had five boys, so none of these families are us. I recall being afraid of shots.
If memory serves Dr. Lebhar and Dr. Franklin “Bud” Lynch were Bay St. Pediatrics. Dr. Lynch was the Eason kids pediatrician. Mrs. Richards was his nurse and she was excellent at giving shots. Any one of those women in the pic could be my mother. I can still hear Dr. Lynch saying “okay Dave turn your head and cough”. LOL..
I am almost certain that was in Dr. Lehbar’s office. I think his nurse was betty? they had a cat clock who opened and closed their eyes, that we would look at when we got our shots. We loved Dr. Lehbar.
Yes—Betty Godfrey
And there was Dr. Homer Shoup…terrific doc with his magic “sure hot” cough medicine…office at Fort Apache.
Dr. Lebhar was my pediatrician. He was wonderful. I know my mother and I weren’t in the picture, since I always had my hula hoop with me. It was in the days of home visits if you were sick. I remember Dr. Lebhar coming to our house in the evening several times. After persistent begging, my mom promised me I could get my ears pierced when I turned 14, but she insisted that it be done by Dr. Lebhar in his office. I don’t believe he charged her, since it was for my birthday!
Definitely Dr Lebhar’s office. That’s my Mom in the upper left with the blue shirt holding me when she was pregnant my brother. I have a copy hanging in my home.
Ahem, even back in the bad old 70’s, I did not wear a dress when I took me kids to Doc Lebhar’s office. My kids, now in their 50’s remember Doc Lebhar checking their hearing by whispering numbers while he stood in one corner of the room and the kid stood diagonally opposite.
Our cousin, “Nurse Betty” Godfrey , was a life-long resident of Westport. Dr. Lebhar was our pediatrician and became a good friend over the years. I bet some folks will remember the clock in his office.
Dr. Lynch was my pediatrician. I also went to Dr. Doctor. Seriously.
Dr. Doctor and his wife were eye doctors: Dr. and Dr. Doctor!
You can’t make this up.
Almost as good as the Staples English teachers. Marue English and Alan Chalk.
Dr. Doctor lived a few houses from us on South Morningside Drive.
I’d like to cast a ballot for Drs. Al and Jean Beasley who were the absolutely the best and guided my parents through some very difficult medical situations. Of course, I dreaded Dr. Al showing up at the house knowing full well he likely he had a shot in his bag for me. I cried every time!
And count me in as a big fan of Alan Chalk and Robert Dworak. I wonder what became of Robert.
Around 70 or 73 years ago, we had Dr. Birney, from Bridgeport , on Brooklawn Avenue, as our pediatrician. So he would drive to North Maple Ave for a house visit when I was sick. Maybe that was a 30 mile round trip? The house call was $5.00 dollars! I’ll repeat that. It cost $5.00 dollars and he drove 30 miles round trip!
My first visit with Dr. Lebhar was a home call when I was five. I remember him being very kind and prescribing ginger ale, which was fine with me!
I did not grow up in Westport, but being of a certain age, I remember that my mother always wore a dress, or blouse and skirt, exactly as those pictured, with her kitten heel shoes, and did so up until the early 1970’s when she added slacks to her wardrobe. Nice memories. And my father was always wearing a tie. Thanks for bringing back those memories.
For some reason, we didn’t have Westport doctors. Maybe because we lived so close to the Fairfield line. I remember in 1951 getting stitches in my knee from Dr. Soloway in Southport. I did have Dr. Oliver, from Center Street, as my dentist for 50 years.
Dr, Lebhar was my pediatrician for many years. I remember finally being convinced (or my mom) that it was time to find a doctor who was not a pediatrician. That’s how much we loved Dr. Lebhar. We are not in the picture. Thanks for the memories.
I think that Dr. Lebhar had just started his practice when my mother met him shortly before I was born. So I was one of his first patients. We moved to NYC when I was 6 mos. old but came back to Westport when I was 5 and he was once again my doctor. He did house calls, when I had the measles in 2nd grade, he came to the house. AND when I was living again in Westport as a young mother myself, he did a house call when my toddler daughter had croup. He was wonderful and I’m so glad he was in our lives.
Dr. Jean Beasley was the best. Saw us kids thru many adolescent stages with grace and humor.
Dr. Labar did make house calls for a house when I was very young. We do visits and I’d get shots there. My mother would kid Betty about using Rusty needles for the injections. There are other stories that are deemed more appropriate over adult beverages. Thanks for the memory!
Dr. Lebhar was on a ski vacation and heard my sister was ill. The new and covering doctor saw her and sent her home despite her breathing issues. After speaking to my parents Dr. Lebhar immediately left his holiday
and came back to Westport and admitted her. I can still recall the medicinal smell of the office, the stickers on the ceiling above the examining table and his quiet manner.
I could have been in that picture, except my pediatrician, Dr. Becker, was in Mount Vernon, NY. The waiting room looked exactly the same, and I dressed exactly the same. I didn’t wear a hat, though.
Oh yes, very familiar. The kid in shorts? Yep. My mother loved to embarrass me with this cover.
Dr. Lynch, at the same practice, was a veteran of WWII and had a limp after being wounded in combat. He would never give us vaccines, but would hand us off to Nurse Richards. As a result we loved him but were scared of her. He was a kind and caring man and a great pediatrician. And who could forget the clock in his office that looked like a cat. Its eyes and tail would move back and forth every second so the children could watch while he performed the exam. Dr. Lynch was a Westport treasure and we are all quite fortunate to have known him.
Dr. Lynch was our family Pediatrician. A wonderful guy who occasionally came to our home, if one of us was really sick.
I pulled together the courage to asked him once, “Why is it that you limped and that his shoe had such a large “lift” on it?” I was wowed all the more, when he told me he was blown off the deck of a destroyer during an enemy attack while in the Navy. I learned after his passing that as injured as he was he managed to save others who were also in the water.
Years after he left Westport for Hanover, NH I was sitting in his old waiting room on Bay street with now my own young children, watching his iconic black cat clock tail & eyes swinging from side to side.
(Re Eric Bosch’s memory ,(Nice) Dr. Lynch came to our Weston house,(I’d a bad fall off my bike, many scrapes,,trying to ride ‘no hands’ (my older brother dared me:-( Yes, I,then, Also wondered same about his limp & his shoe, but then being a timid nine-year-old,I
didn’t have the nerve to ask Dr. Lynch !
Yes,Dr. Beasley also our pediatrician,drove out to our Weston house.(Different World,for Sure,back then!)
Dr. Lebhar was not our children’s pediatrician; Dr. Beasley was, however, Dr. Lebhar (working after hours duty on night) drove to my house at 11 p.m. to pick up my daughter 2 years old, who had just suffered a seizure, and me, 4 months pregnant, to drive us to Norwalk Hospital. He was the kindest of men. Of course, neither my children nor I, dressed like the folks in the photo, when visiting our pediatrician.
Dr Lehbar was my pediatrician! He was great!! Loved his classy look and the cat clock! A great doctor! Wish he was still practicing! He would be my son’s pediatrician, hands down!
Dr Peter Czuczka could be considered a” Johnny Come Lately “ having joined Dr Beasley and Dr Shiller in 1973- over 50 years ago! Too young to make the pictured waiting room. He took care of our 5 kids and had to tell each one when it was time to move on to a grown up people doctor. He was a great diagnostician with a warm funny demeanor! After all these years – He is still a dear close family friend!
I loved Dr Lebhar. He had such a calm way about him. And fondly remember Betty. That green carpet looks familiar. There was a round bandaid on the ceiling over the exam table to keep you distracted.
Dan,
I think that is my Mom, Joan McCarthy and my sister Sharon in the center of the picture.
My parents moved to Westport 1951 and Dr. Labhar took care of all seven of us children. I remember very well the cat on the wall and Betty Godfrey his nurse who was no nonsense nurse Betty. I had many opportunities much later in life to have a chance to visit with Betty in her home.
We also had the gift of being taken care of by Sara Brady who was head maternity nurse At Norwalk Hospital, and lived across the pond from us and across the street from Jane Nordli. She delivered five of us, and saved my life when I was born.
Treasures such as Neil, Betty and Sara are hard to find these days, but make us appreciative to have lived in Westport and experience their love.