1911 – 2004

AUBURN – Dr. Edward Reeves, 92, a retired physician, died unexpectedly on March 31, of a heart condition.

Dr. Reeves was born May 15, 1911, and was raised in Vienna, Austria. He was one of five children and knew from an early age that he wanted to be a physician. He was an active outdoorsman in his youth hiking in the Alps and canoeing.

An accomplished pianist and organist, Dr. Reeves played the organ throughout Austria. He was graduated from the University of Vienna Medical School in 1938. Dr. Edward Reeves’ mother owned a vast lending library of over 100,000 books in Vienna, and he was a lifelong rapacious reader. Dr. Sigmund Freud was a reader in the library.

On Dec. 1, 1938, Dr. Edward Reeves married Dr. Helene Reeves in Vienna and together in December 1939 they sailed to America from Italy during the Second World War. Dr. Edward Reeves and Dr. Helene Reeves were married for 66 years up until the sudden death of Dr. Helene Reeves Feb. 22. They enjoyed a long, loving partnership and were intellectual equals sharing a lifelong love of family, medicine, and community.

Dr. Edward Reeves and his wife settled in West Paris in 1944. Subsequently they moved to South Paris, Lewiston (1952) and finally Auburn in 1969. Dr. Reeves was a traditional physician whose office for many years was in the home. He made house calls, sat up many nights patiently waiting to deliver expectant mothers, performed surgery, and looked after children as well as adults.

An award given to Dr. Reeves on Sept. 12, 2002, at the time of his retirement from Central Maine Medical Center, which he had joined Jan. 1, 1946, stated the following: “Your life has spanned almost a century. You have a sense of history that escapes most of us. You survived a time and place of unprecedented human indignity, yet since joining our midst, you have continually demonstrated goodness and decency, affability, and a quiet, gentlemanly, polite professionalism. Throughout your distinguished career you have shown all those whose lives you have touched the true meaning of the word “physician”, and the true value of a life as a healer. Your love for your patients and respect for their rights has been ever apparentPlease accept this President’s Award with the full gratitude and respect of the CMMC’s entire medical staff. You will forever be one of us.”

Dr. Reeves was noted for his steadfast character, kindliness, and wisdom. He enjoyed poetry, history, travel, and photography. He also liked animals, particularly cats and dogs. He loved his only grandchild, Lara, and created a series of children’s stories for her called the Gumpuck tales.

Dr. Edward Reeves is survived by his son, Thomas Reeves of Gardiner; and his daughter, Dr. Karen Reeves and granddaughter, Lara of Cambridge, Mass.

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