On Sept. 4, 2022, Dr. Stephen J. Dubel passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family at his home in rural Henning, Minnesota, at 92 years of age.
Stephen was born June 26, 1930, in Irvington. His parents were the late Stephen and Mildred (Popek) Dubel. Stephen graduated from Irvington High School with the Class of 1948, where he was the class president and a varsity athlete in football and track. He attended Rutgers University on an academic and football scholarship, was president of Zeta Psi fraternity, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated cum laude in 1952 with a degree in biological science. He was a member of Rutgers University Choir and Glee Club for four years.
In 1953 Stephen was united in marriage with Verna Chaplin while attending Temple University School of Medicine where he was a member of the Babcock Honor Society and obtained his medical degree in 1956. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps for two years at the Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine, he returned to Temple University Medical Center to complete his residency in internal medicine and research fellow in cardiology. He began a private practice in internal medicine and cardiology in Red Bank in 1962 and was a full attending and head of medical education at Riverview Medical Center.
During these demanding assignments, Stephen and Verna raised their remarkable family of five daughters and four sons in Lincroft. Stephen and Verna were happily married for 33 years before Verna’s passing in 1986.
In 1977 Stephen was honored with letters of Affiliation to the Brothers of the Christian Schools for his extraordinary love and devotion to his family and church, his dedicated service to his patients, including the Brothers and students of Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) in Lincroft. He was also subsequently honored with a Founders’ Award by CBA for his 40 years of service.
In 1990, Stephen was united in marriage with Elaine J. Andrews (Moen) of Henning, Minnesota, and his family grew as he became the father to Elaine’s three children. Stephen retired from private practice in 1995, though he continued to serve many members of religious orders in the Red Bank and Lincroft area.
In 2001 he was honored by the medical staff as the first recipient of the Riverview Medical Center Outstanding Physician Award. He generously donated his time and efforts to religious communities throughout his entire career.
He is survived by and will be dearly missed by his loving wife Elaine Dubel; his children, Diana Cullum, Nancy Doren, John Dubel and his wife Karen, Anne Moonan and her husband Thomas, Teresa Maguire and her husband James, Mary Louise Fitzpatrick and her husband Joseph, Thomas Dubel and his wife Rachel, Michael Dubel and his wife Silvia, David Dubel and his wife Yvette, Lisa Knoflicek and her husband Scott, Dale Andrews and his wife Sharon and Tammy Fosse and her husband Shawn; his 30 grandchildren and nine great -grandchildren.
A celebration of his life was held in in Henning, Minnesota where he lived in retirement.
The article originally appeared in the September 15 – 21, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
