Keith Buzzell ’54 died on June 12, 2018, in Bridgton, Maine.
The following was published by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.
Dr. Buzzell was born in 1932 in Boston. He studied music at Bowdoin College and Boston University and received his medical doctorate in 1960 at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Buzzell served as Dean of the Department of Osteopathic Principals and Practices at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri. He served as Director of Education at the Osteopathic Hospital of Maine in Portland, Maine from 1965-1968.
In 1990, Dr. Buzzell was named Maine Osteopath of the Year at the Osteopathic Conference in Rockland, Maine, for his involvement as a general practitioner in patient care and community service. As a country doctor he maintained a family practice for forty-two years in Fryeburg, and was a member of the staff at Bridgton Hospital. Over the course of his career, he delivered babies, admitted patients to the hospital, made rounds at the hospital, worked in the emergency room and regularly made house calls, a practice he continued until 2010. Keith held the position of medical director and physician at the Fryeburg Health Care Center until October 2017.
Dr. Buzzell was the founder of Hospice Volunteers of Western Maine in the mid-1970s, after having met and been inspired by Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of Hospice, in Montreal, where she was lecturing, and together with Robert Doyle, M.D., they trained volunteers in his office waiting room. In 1982, Congress initiated the creation of the Medicare Hospice Benefit which became permanent in 1986. He collaborated in the efforts to establish a volunteer Fryeburg Rescue standing in as medical adviser assisting the pioneer community leaders, Riley Wiley, Web Fox, Harold Wentworth, and Dick Fox, who established the Charter for Fryeburg Volunteer Rescue.
Keith was a lifelong scholar of the sciences, especially neurophysiology, physics and astronomy. He lectured widely on the neurophysiological influences of television viewing on the developing human brain, and published a book on the topic, titled “Children of Cyclops.” In addition, he lectured on the three-stage evolution of man’s brain. He avidly read science books and journals, as well as novels. As a gifted writer, he combined his spiritual pursuits with his love of science to produce several books published by the Fifth Press. He collaborated in the founding of an international humanities conference; helping to connect people from thirteen countries. Held annually at various locations, its purpose is the pursuit of the reconciliation of science and spirituality.
Keith loved, enjoyed and celebrated his children and grandchildren and their accomplishments. His two daughters, Zoe and Cheryl, worked with him in his office practice, Cheryl remained with him as his medical assistant for 23 years. He loved creating, designing and growing vegetable gardens, building projects, and harvesting firewood.
He is survived by his wife, Marlena (Ryerson) Buzzell; his brother, Earl and sister-in-law, Eleanor Buzzell; the mother of his children, Carrolle Buzzell; his daughters, Zoe Weizenkail, Cheryl Buzzell and son-in-law, Chris Bigelow; his son, Rick Hensley-Buzzell; and daughter-in-law, Dawn; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.