Morton Richard "Dick" Maser
March 3, 1931-July 6, 2017
Palo Alto, California

Morton “Dick” Richard Maser died peacefully on July 7, 2017, after a hard fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Dick was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, to Jack and Fan Maser.

He is survived by his sons Scott, Ben and Mike, and his brother Barry.

He graduated from Central High School (1951) and then attended the University of Pennsylvania (1953), where he received both his undergraduate and doctoral degrees. While at Penn, he rowed lightweight men’s varsity crew, and was a member of the Friars Senior Society, the Kite & Key Society, the Nu Sigma Nu (William Pepper Medical) Society, and the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.

Between 1957 and 1965, he did his residencies in general and plastic surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Two years into his training, he met the love of his life, Julia Chandler Scott, and after a six week courtship, they married. Shortly thereafter, and between his general and plastic surgery residencies, the newlyweds left for Europe where Dick served in Wiesbaden, Germany, as a United States Air Force Captain. They returned to New York City in 1961, where they gave birth to their first son Scott while Dick completed his residency in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

In 1965, they gave birth to their second son Ben, and in 1966 the family moved to Palo Alto, California, where Dick took his first and only job as a Plastic Surgeon at the Palo Alto Clinic. In 1970, they gave birth to their third son, Mike.

Dick was a beloved member of the Palo Alto Clinic, cared for countless grateful patients and served on the clinical faculty at Stanford University Hospital over his 49-year career.

In 2012, he lost Julie to lung cancer. Though devastated and heartbroken, he forged ahead, practicing another 3 years and spending quality time with family and friends.

In 2015, he retired from his surgical practice, but continued to serve the patients of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation as a volunteer at the Palo Alto Main Campus.

Until just 2 months ago, he could be seen going out to dinner with family and friends, attending various social events, or on his almost daily bike ride through the Palo Alto foothills and the Stanford Campus in his signature neon yellow windbreaker.

Dick was a truly revered member of the community, respected and loved by all whose lives he touched. He will be greatly missed.

Dick’s family will be holding a private service for him in the upcoming weeks.

Tags: veteran