In Remembrance: Lee D. Goldberg ’59, ’63MD Died on October 12 2022

Lee Dresden Goldberg, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and physician, passed away at home with his family on October 12, 2022. He was 85 years old. 

Born in New Jersey, Lee was an avid lover of mathematics from a young age, placing seventh in a competition of more than 23,000 students from the United States, Canada, and Scotland. At Yale, he double-majored in mathematics and zoology, a choice his children always found ironic, since Lee was not an animal lover. But he did love science, and he chose to pursue a career in medicine over math as a way of serving the public good. After receiving his undergraduate degree in 1959, he continued on at Yale School of Medicine, graduating in 1963. 

Shortly thereafter, Lee was drafted into the Navy, where he served as a doctor on board an aircraft carrier in the South Asian waters. In 1966 he returned to complete his medical training in New York and eventually settled in South Florida. 

Lee served as chief of endocrinology at Mount Sinai Medical Center for almost 40 years and was associate professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Renowned for his brilliance, his tremendous dedication to his patients, and his kind, gentle demeanor, Lee was a pillar of the South Florida medical community. After he retired from his private practice, Lee taught in the physician’s assistant and podiatry programs at Barry University. He enjoyed training the next generation of medical professionals and was deeply respected by his students and colleagues. 

What Lee cherished most was spending time with his family. He was fortunate to have two wonderful marriages during the course of his lifetime. During his residency, Lee fell in love with Lana Ditchek Goldberg, and they enjoyed 24 years of marriage until Lana’s death in 1991. Lee’s second marriage, to Rhoda Kuperman Goldberg, lasted 28 happy and fulfilling years. Lee is survived by Rhoda; his daughters, Marissa Goldberg Levenson, Sara Goldberg, and Rachel Goldberg; his stepson, Eric Kuperman; three sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law, who were like his own children; and 13 beloved grandchildren, who brought Lee endless pride and smiles. 

Lee loved the time he spent at Yale, and he visited the campus several times over the years. Active on the local alumni committee, he conducted in-person alumni interviews for Yale College for decades. A voracious reader, Lee read everything from mathematics books to medical journals, history volumes to the latest fiction. He loved James Bond movies and Cole Porter showtunes, and he was a stalwart member of his synagogue’s weekly Talmud class for more than 20 years. His family and friends miss him dearly. 

—Submitted by the family.