Peter Alan Lodewick passed away at the age of 80 in Durham, NC on July 17, 2022. He was born on April 11, 1942 to the late Louise Mary Bockhold and Robert John Lodewick.
One of five brothers, he was raised in Brooklyn, NY and Huntington, Long Island and relished his time playing stickball in the streets or swimming in the Long Island Sound with his brothers. He attended Boston College for his undergraduate studies and earned his medical degree at Boston University.
He developed Type 1 diabetes in his 20s while serving in the Navy after medical school. He became a physician specializing in diabetes to help others from the unique vantage point of having the condition himself. Always a tremendous athlete, as an adult, he took up tennis and running, and competed in races well into his 70’s. He was an avid gardener who grew flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees. He was committed to helping others, whether through the practice of medicine or by helping those less fortunate. He was endlessly positive and encouraging with others and had a deeply optimistic view on life. He loved music but couldn’t keep the beat or carry a tune, but that never stopped him from singing or dancing.
He wrote books about managing diabetes for the lay public, including A Diabetic Man Talks About Diabetes: His and Yours and The Diabetic Man, and followed his own advice. He managed his diet with discipline, checked his blood sugar regularly, adjusted his insulin accordingly, and ran 3 miles or more per day, right up until the day he had a stroke in December 2019. Ever the competitor, he was eventually back on his feet, pacing the halls of the skilled nursing facility during COVID lockdown, to "get his miles in." In over fifty years of practicing medicine, he helped countless patients to live their best lives and was loved by all who met him, with his warm and overly generous heart.
A loving brother and proud father and grandfather, he was predeceased by his son Peter, and he is survived by his brothers Bob, Phil, Rick, and Kevin; his children Victoria, Matthew, and Sarah; and his grandchildren Alex, Pascale, Nora, and Rainer. We will miss him dearly. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (https://diabetesresearch.org/) or to SEEDS SEEDS (https://www.seedsnc.org/) .
The Lodewick family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service. Online condolences: www.hallwynne.com – select obituaries.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors