Thomas Hans Witschi

Thomas Hans Witschi, M.D., passed away peacefully Dec. 28, 2024, after a brief illness. A longtime resident of Mattituck and Wading River, he had recently moved to Lynnfield, Mass., to be closer to family. 

He was born in New York City in 1934 to Hans and Rosli Witschi, Swiss immigrants who instilled in him the values of hard work and education, and who provided him with a lasting appreciation of his Swiss heritage. He graduated from the University of Buffalo Medical School in 1960, after undergraduate studies at Cornell University. Drafted into the United States Army in 1962 during his residency, Mr. Witschi served his country for nine years, including 18 months in Vietnam, where he used his surgical knowledge, and his Swiss Army knife, to remove a live ring grenade embedded in a military combatant’s face. He was honorably discharged as a lieutenant colonel in 1971, and immediately began a 30-year career as an orthopedic surgeon in Riverhead, serving the communities on the East End of Long Island.

After his first “retirement,” he accepted a position as an attending physician in the orthopedic residency program at Mt. Sinai Medical School in New York, teaching and mentoring the next generation of surgeons. He volunteered with Doctors Without Borders, providing critical medical care after natural disasters in many countries, including Haiti, Bhutan, Congo, Kenya, Pakistan and Vietnam. His final humanitarian mission was with Project Hope, when he returned to Haiti on board a U.S. naval hospital ship.

Throughout his life, Tom enjoyed both active pursuits (sailing, skiing, flying, windsurfing, skeet shooting) and leisurely ones (beekeeping, woodworking, clockmaking). He was happiest in his workshop(s), sculpting and creating pieces of art while listening to smooth jazz music. He celebrated his 90th birthday last July with family, and indulged in his favorite Eastern Long Island summer menu of lobster, corn, tomatoes and oysters.

Predeceased by his wife, Audrey Bingham Witschi, in 2018, Tom is survived by his daughters Suzette, Lynne, Michelle and Heidi (and their spouses and partners); his grandchildren Rachel, Matthew, Rose, Nick, Tom, Rubi and Mae (and their spouses and partners); as well as his caring friends overseas and stateside.

Plans for a memorial gathering in the warmer weather are not complete at this time.

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