John G. Pontius

John G. Pontius, M.D., 85, of Lancaster, died Monday, December 31, 2012, at his home. He was born in Lancaster in 1927, the son of the late Solomon Gilmore and Helen Holman Pontius. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1946-47, John graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1953. Dr. Pontius then completed an internship at the Guthrie Clinic at Robert Packer Memorial Hospital in Sayre, PA, and a surgical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Pontius was a partner in Surgical Associates of Lancaster and was on the staff of Lancaster General Hospital where he served in various leadership roles over the years including Chief of the Division of Surgery, Vice-Chairman of the Department of Surgery, and Chairman of the Medical Education Committee. Dr. Pontius retired in 1999. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgeons, Dr. Pontius was a past president of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and past chairman of the Specialty Review Committee for General Surgery for Pennsylvania. He was a member of numerous professional and civic organizations including the James T. Priestly Society of Mayo Clinic; Lancaster Medical Society; Phi Kappa Psi; American Business Club, Lancaster Chapter; Lancaster Country Club; and past president of the Hamilton Club of Lancaster. Dr. Pontius is survived by his wife of 58 years, Jeanne Appleyard Pontius, and their four children: Mark Pontius, husband of Cynthia, of Lancaster, PA; Kathleen Melligon, wife of John, of Short Hills, N.J.; John Wesley Pontius, husband of Pamela, of Sterling, VA; and Joseph Pontius, husband of Elisabeth, of Chatham, NJ. In addition, he is survived by 10 grandchildren: John Pontius, Kathryn Pontius, Sarah Pontius, Alexandra Melligon, Samantha Melligon, and Christopher Melligon, Darby Pontius, Wyatt Pontius, Elisabeth Pontius and Thomas Pontius. Dr. Pontius also is survived by a brother, Joseph A. Pontius of San Diego, CA, and a sister, Helen Hopton, wife of David, of Irvington, VA. He was predeceased by his brother, the late Paul Pontius. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 5, 2013, at The Groffs Family Funeral & Cremation Services, 528 West Orange Street (at the corner of West Orange & Pine streets) in Lancaster. The family will receive friends at The Groffs from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service on January 5. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice and Community Care, PO Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125 (www.hospiceandcommunitycare.org); the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21403 (www.cbf.org); or the charity of one’s choice.

John G. Pontius

January 2, 2013