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Posted on: November 4, 2021
Dr. Thomas F. Urbaniak, 82, of Yardley, Pa., passed away suddenly on September 5, 2021.
Born in Trenton to the late Henry S. Urbaniak, Sr. MD, and Helen Potkay Urbaniak, Tom resided in Yardley for over 60 years. He practiced as an orthopaedic surgeon for more than 50 years at Helene Fuld Hospital (Capital Health) where he was president of the staff and at St. Mary’s hospital in Langhorne, Pa. He attended Princeton Country Day School and graduated from The Lawrenceville School in 1956. In 1960, Tom earned his bachelor of arts degree at Princeton University where he played varsity soccer and ice hockey.
He received his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical School, Philadelphia in 1964. Tom then served in the United States Navy and was stationed with the 3rd Marine Battalion in Chu Lai during the Vietnam War. He went on to complete a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Virginia and a fellowship at The University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
A lifelong summer resident of Seaside Park, NJ, Tom was a member of the Seaside Park Yacht Club and a former member of the Trenton Country Club and the Princeton Cannon Club. Tom enjoyed boating, fishing, and golfing and was an avid reader. In addition, he was an enthusiastic cheerleader for his children’s sports, as well as his beloved Princeton University Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals. He loved vacationing with his family on Sanibel Island, Florida. A loyal friend and patriot, Tom cherished hosting family and friends at his home on Christmas Eve and on July 4.
He will be forever remembered for his quick wit, kindness, and generosity to all whose lives he touched. Tom is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Barbara Jenkins Urbaniak; three children, Beth Ann Urbaniak, VMD, Kristin Urbaniak Shea and her husband Daniel, and Thomas F. Urbaniak, II and his wife Andrea; four grandchildren, Katharine and Jack Shea and Ania and Thomas F. Urbaniak, III; brother, Henry S. Urbaniak, Jr. MD; sisters-in-law Carol DeMeritt and Norma Smith and her husband Edmund; and by many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends.