Morton Bender

Dr. Morton Bender, 89, passed away surrounded by loved ones on August 23, 2024, in Rye Brook, NY.

Beloved husband of Linda Weiss Sachs Bender of White Plains, NY and the late Evelyn Solomon Bender, he is survived by Linda, sister Velma Hirsch (Stuart) of Pittsburgh, PA, son Andrew Bender of Santa Monica, CA, daughter Renée Bender-Cohn (Michael) of Natick, MA, and son Daniel Bender (Samantha) of Bethesda, MD, and stepchildren Pamela Feldman (Scott) of Potomac, MD and David Sachs of Carbondale, CO. He leaves behind 8 grandchildren: Ethan and Rebecca Bender; Matthew and Dayna Cohn; Isabella, Oliver and Charlotte Sachs; and Jack Feldman; and was adored by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins and grand-nieces and nephews from coast to coast. In addition to Evelyn, he is preceded in death by his parents and dear brothers Isadore and Fred Bender.

Mort (or Pat to his Virginia family) was born on September 18, 1934 in Richmond, VA, to Abe Bender and Rachel (Elfmon) Bender. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and the University of Richmond, where he was admitted to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, later earning his MD in 1959 at Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University). Following internships and residency in New York City and Boston, he spent decades as a much-admired gastroenterologist in New Haven, CT and an Associate Clinical Professor at Yale University School of Medicine. After retirement, he volunteered as a mentor to residents at Veterans Administration New York Harbor Healthcare System in Manhattan.

More than just a doctor, Mort was also a pioneering patient, as one of the world's first coronary bypass patients in 1977 and, more recently, one the first recipients of treatment for cardiac amyloidosis. At 89, he is believed to be the longest-lived person in his lineage. Even in his final months, he never lost his faith in medicine or his will to live.

Son of a grocer, he worked as a short-order cook early in life, later applying those skills as a home chef specializing in morning muffins to grilled Thanksgiving turkey, and for the last decade a plant-based diet. A typical shopping outing would take him to 5 different stores for just the right ingredients (including a stop for coffee along the way) and making sure the pantry and fridge were always overstocked.

Burial service took place at Mount Eden Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.

Memorial donations can be made in Morton Bender's name to the American Heart Association.