Laurence "Larry" A. Somers, M.D.

Laurence “Larry” A. Somers M.D., age 94, a resident of The Hill at Whitemarsh in Lafayette Hill, PA., husband of “Chiqui” Myra Adele Somers (deceased August 18, 2024), father to Jonathan (Dorothy Mayson), Liza (Daniel Mines) and Rachel (Barry Siegel), grandfather to Jed (Jillian), Rebecca, Sophie, Ben, Max, Sam and Jemma and great-grandfather to Dell, brother of Robert Somers, MD (Ronnie), passed away on April 28, 2025 at Chestnut Hill Hospital after a sudden illness.

Larry was born on March 10, 1931 to Dr. Joshua Simon Somers and Jean Somers (nee Davidow) in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated first in his class from the 190th class of Philadelphia’s Central High School for Boys in 1948, from the University of Pennsylvania (summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) in 1952, and from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1956. He served as a surgeon with the rank of captain in the USAF in Harlingen, Texas, and then completed a residency in general surgery and a fellowship in pediatric surgery. He went on to lead the Department of Surgery at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, where he established its accredited pediatric surgery fellowship program in 1974. A Professor of Surgery at Temple University School of Medicine and a charter member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, he performed surgeries on thousands of infants and children in his long career. He retired from the practice of pediatric surgery in 1997, and afterwards became a certified mohel, performing hundreds of Brit Milah ceremonies in his “retirement”.

Larry had an amazing amount of varied and eclectic interests and hobbies. An inveterate reader of newspapers, journals, history, fiction, and poetry, he established a popular poetry reading group at the Hill at Whitemarsh at age 92. A lover of classical music and American folk, blues and New Orleans jazz music, he studied and played the banjo in midlife and then blues harmonica in his later years. After designing and building his dream house on a bucolic property in Lafayette Hill, he became a passionate bird watcher, spending countless hours filling and observing his many birdfeeders. He loved automobiles and enjoyed driving too fast in the various sports cars he owned over the years. He also loved to swim and spent hours every day in the summer swimming laps in his beautiful pool. His love of swimming and water led him to become a certified scuba diver and an aquarist. Over decades, he developed an encyclopedic knowledge of the characteristics and personalities of the fish in his salt water tank. He was fascinated with new technology and in his later years he became computer literate, spending countless hours on the internet researching anything and everything.

With his wife Chiqui and their many friends, he traveled extensively in the Americas, Europe, Africa, India and Asia, always interested in local cuisines and culture and meeting new people.

He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and to make others laugh.

Larry was a passionate fan of the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles, watching most Phillies games, and (without fail) every Eagles game on TV. A lifelong lover of the color green (and all its many shades) he dyed his hair “Eagles” green every fall in support of beloved team and he considered the Eagles 2025 Superbowl victory a special gift. More than anything, however, he was a devoted fan of his adoring and adored grandchildren. He delighted in hearing and talking about their various interests, activities, work life and adventures, and appreciated and greatly admired each one of them, unfailingly enthusiastic, secure and optimistic about their futures.

He will be greatly missed.

Funeral Services will be held at Beth David Reform Congregation, 1130 Vaughan Ln, Gladwyne, PA, 19035 on Thursday May 1st, 2025 at 10:00 AM precisely, interment will follow at Laurel Hill West Cemetery, 225 Belmont Ave, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

Contributions in his memory may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation www.parkinsons.org or American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) www.aclu.org