Phoebe Esther Saturen

Phoebe Esther Saturen MD, 86, died peacefully of renal failure on Thursday, March 19, 2015, at her home at the Willows in Westboro, where she was a resident for the past 10 years. The second daughter of Philip and Cecilia Saturen, she was born July 29, 1928, in Philadelphia PA. She graduated from West Philadelphia High School at age 16 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1948 after 3 years. She graduated from the University of Buffalo Medical School in 1952 and completed a internship in pediatric medicine at Kings County Medical Center, followed by a residency at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital in Brooklyn NY. Dr. Saturen was a physiatrist and specialized in pediatric rehabilitation medicine. She was on the faculty of New York Medical College, Valhalla NY from 1956 until her retirement in 2005, and held appointments at many hospitals in the greater New York area including Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital, Metropolitan Hospital, Bird S. Coler Hospital, Montefiore Hospital and Lincoln Hospital as well as what is now known as the Westchester Institute for Human Development. She and her husband, Michael Braun, lived in Rockland County, NY, until his death in 1985. She relocated to Westboro, MA in 2005, to be near her only daughter, Regina (Jeanne) Braun Cunningham and her husband Steven Cunningham, and her beloved granddaughters, Rebecca Naomi and Helen Michaela Cunningham of Upton, MA. She is also survived by her two sisters, Anne Nelson of Falmouth, MA, and Janice Olszowka, MD and her husband Albert Olszowka, MD, of Buffalo, NY, as well as niece Pamela Nelson, MD, of Woods Hole, MA, nephews Peter Olszowka of Somerville, MA, and Paul Olszowka of Oak Park, IL, and their families.

Phoebe was a lifelong lover of music and was an accomplished violinist and violist. A member of several amateur orchestras in the New York area, she joined the Symphony Pro Musica in Westboro after her relocation to Massachusetts. She delighted in playing chamber music and attended numerous summer programs to pursue this interest. An avid reader of mysteries, she also enjoyed traveling with her husband, Michael, Italy being a favorite destination. She loved animals, especially cats. She was passionate about political and humanitarian issues, and as a medical student, traveled to Eastern Europe with one of the first civilian groups to tour the grounds of Auschwitz. She attended civil rights demonstrations and rode a bus to Washington DC to hear Dr. Martin Luther King deliver his famous "I have a dream" speech.

Phoebe's family will celebrate her life with calling hours at the Willows, One Lyman Street, #322, Westboro MA on Friday March 27 and Saturday March 28, 2015 between the hours of 3-7 pm

In lieu of flowers, donations in Phoebe's memory may be made to Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 5022, Hagerstown MD 21741, the Symphony Pro Musica, PO Box 332, Hudson MA 01749-0332 or American Medical Resources Foundation PO Box 3609 Brockton, MA 02304-3609

Service Details

Memorial Calling Hours Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 from 3 to 7 P.M. at The Willows, 1 Lyman St., #322, Westborough.

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