Dr. Art Egelman
Arthur Egelman,
91, passed away on August 1, 2020 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Born in New York on December 12, 1928, Arthur earned a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a master’s from New York University before attending medical school at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. He performed his clinical rotations in various countries in Europe, strengthening his remarkable facility with language; he spoke eight tongues with fluency. He performed his medical internship in Denver, CO, before hanging his shingle as a psychiatrist in Washington, DC. There he worked with the FDA, serving as the head of psychotropic medications.
He married Cirel Dortort in 1966. They lived for a time in Israel before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico. There Arthur opened a private practice in psychiatry, joined the staff of several hospitals, and became the chairman of the department at Heights Psychiatric. He also joined the Army Reserve and the New Mexico Mounted Patrol. He was an expert in the operation and history of firearms.
In 1989 he and his wife moved to Colorado – first to Pueblo, and later to Colorado Springs – where he continued to work until retiring at 80. Of his many outstanding qualities, one was the breadth and depth of his scholarship. His extensive collection of books covered an enormous range of topics, with extensive writings in foreign languages. He loved poetry and cited scores of passages by rote. His love of classical music often brought tears to his eyes.
Art possessed an easy, natural magnetism that attracted everyone. He was deeply kind and insightful. He possessed a stunning intellectual capacity coupled with an unguarded and ever-present sense of humor. Jokes and riddles rarely failed to delight him.
Arthur is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Cirel (Dortort) Egelman; his two sons, Joel and David; and his four grandchildren, Josh, Jordan, Ari, and Aviva. He was predeceased by all of his siblings.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society.