Obituary of Tom Sperring Mebane, 88

Tom Sperring Mebane, MD – A Man of Service Passes Away
April 5 1920 – September 21, 2008

After a very full life, Tom Sperring Mebane died on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at age 88. He died of cardiac arrest at Mount Nittany Medical Center while in recovery from major surgery.

Trained as a physician, Tom Mebane became State College's first pediatrician, moving his young family to central Pennsylvania in 1950. In his practice of pediatrics he helped thousands of parents raise a whole generation of children. He then shifted his focus to the emerging field of emergency medicine. After retirement, he continued serving Centre County and the medical profession in his capacity as a staff physician for Rockview Correctional Facility and as a consulting physician at Biolife Plasma Services. For decades he provided a service to the community by performing physicals for State College Area School District teachers and staff. Along the way, he served as civic leader, exemplary husband and father, friend and counselor to many, leading an honorable life in all respects. State College has lost a man of great character who contributed much to the community.

The Early Years

Tom Sperring Mebane was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to Tom S. Mebane Sr. and Louise MacLean Mebane on April 5, 1920. At the age of 8, Tom lost his father to colon cancer and became the "man of the house," assisting in the care of his two younger brothers – John (Jick) and Ralph. As a youth, Tom was active in scouting, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Throughout his childhood, he excelled in academics and graduated from Wilkes-Barre's Meyers High School in the top 5% of his class. At the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega, serving one year as president. A member of the varsity swim team at Penn, Tom specialized in long distance events. During the wartime years he earned his medical degree, also at the University of Pennsylvania, at an accelerated pace through the Army Specialized Training Program. Tom married Barbara Phipps Morris of Wilkes-Barre on July 1, 1944. They were married for 64 years and raised five children.

The War Years

After completing training at Walter Reed Hospital, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, to do his residency in pediatrics at the Henry Ford Hospital. While in Detroit, their first two children were born – Judith in 1946 and Tom (Tim) in 1948.

State College Service

In planning where to raise a family, Tom and Barbara judged State College to be an ideal place to settle, and they did so in 1950. The second two children followed in quick succession – Louise in 1951 and Rodney in 1952. By 1954 the Mebanes had settled into the house on Robin Road that served as the family home for the next three decades. Margaret (Meg), born in 1959, completed the family.

Dr. Mebane practiced pediatrics in a number of offices around town, starting out in the Metzger Building on S. Allen St. From there he and a colleague moved to the office they built at 1300 S. Allen St., until recently occupied by the Easter Seals Society. He was involved in the establishment of the Westerly Parkway Medical Center, where he saw patients in the last years of his practice.

As one of the first physicians trained in emergency medicine, Dr. Mebane was named Director of Outpatient Services at the new Centre Community Hospital. In this position from 1970 until his retirement in 1985, he helped shape the delivery of emergency care in Centre County. During this period, Dr. Mebane performed with his characteristic confidence and calm demeanor in managing a complex medical department, dealing with traumas of every sort, and providing life-saving support to countless individuals.

A Community Leader

On top of a successful medical practice, Tom Mebane served several terms on the School Board for the State College Area School District. During a period when many important and controversial issues were dealt with by the Board, other Board members regularly praised Dr. Mebane as the voice of objectivity and reason. He routinely reminded his colleagues on the Board that decisions must always be made with the interests of the children "in mind and at heart."

Tom was also for many years an active member of the State College Presbyterian Church.

A Fighter

Unlike many physicians, Tom Mebane took his own advice and followed a healthy lifestyle – eating well, exercising regularly, and responding promptly to symptoms as they occurred. In spite of this, Tom was confronted over the years with two primary cancers – of the bladder and of the colon – and he successfully battled and survived them both. With the bladder cancer, Tom and son Tim (also a physician) researched the experimental treatments available at the time and together discovered the procedure that delivered the cure. It was the third primary cancer – of the kidney – that eventually led to his death. On Thursday, September 11, 2008, Tom underwent surgery to remove his cancerous right kidney and, while the operation was successful and the early prognosis was favorable, he never regained strength and ultimately his systems failed.

A Man for All Seasons

Dr. Mebane was extremely well read, keeping up with medical developments, news of the day, and cultural trends. He loved music – was himself an accomplished pianist – and was a faithful patron of the arts. Avocationally, Tom was an active athlete – in tennis, golf, skiing, and swimming – and an avid fan of sports in general. In his last years, he became a black-belt master of Tivo and captured sports events and old movies with systematic aplomb. Also, for many years, Tom wrote a daily journal that he shared broadly within the family, offering weather reports, news headlines, family and friend updates, and perspectives on world events. These letters were an important source of connectivity within the extended Mebane clan, and they evidenced Tom's strong commitment to family. His routine sign off: "Barbara and I are both well and send lots of love to everyone."

Tom Mebane was steadfast and strong, he taught important life principles by example, and he touched many lives with light and love and gentle, healing hands. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Services & Contributions

A public memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Foxdale Village, 500 E. Marylyn Avenue, State College. You are encouraged to bring memories to share at the service and the reception following.

The remains of Tom Sperring Mebane will be interred in Graysville Cemetery in a private family ceremony at the convenience of the family.

Gifts in Tom Mebane's memory may be made to the Tom and Barbara Mebane Fund, P.O. Box 648, State College, PA 16804-0648. The fund is maintained by the Centre County Community Foundation and is used to support the Schlow Memorial Library, the State College Presbyterian Church, and the Foxdale Village Community Fund. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wetzler Funeral Service, Inc. in Bellefonte.