Dr. Keith J Quinton

Dr. Keith Quinton , Passed away peacefully on April 6, 2023 at the Samaritan Hospice Impatient Unit in Mt. Holly . We honor the life and legacy of Keith Quinton, a true mensch, in all senses of the word. Keith died at 87 years old after a brave struggle with cerebral amyloid angioplasty (CAA). He was a beloved husband, father, family member, friend, colleague and physician, and an incredibly loving, kind, smart, empathetic, supportive and fun man, with an oversized sweet tooth and a huge heart. Keith was born at the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital on November 20th, 1935 to Selma and Max Quinton. Born much later than his older sister, he spent his childhood in Bushwick & Ridgewood, Brooklyn and then St Albans, Queens. Keith’s childhood was marked by the World War that raged as he grew, as well as by some early childhood illnesses which opened his eyes to the impact that compassionate doctoring could have on a life. Keith reminisced often about his childhood, about watching newsreels at the movies, listening to ‘The Shadow’, looking up at the stars from his fire escape, cheering on Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers, taking art classes and piano lessons, playing stick-ball, going to the beach, and spending time with his loving, extended family. A diligent and gifted student and voracious reader, Keith graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1952 at age 16. Keith went to Cornell University after graduation and then to Cornell University Medical College in Manhattan, followed by a medical internship at the University of Pennsylvania, and a residency at Temple University Hospital. Though for a time he considered a career in psychiatry, he ultimately selected internal medicine as his specialty. Keith joined a college fraternity at Cornell (one that, unlike some, accepted Jews with open arms,) and formed lifelong friendships there. During summers and while in medical school, Keith worked as an operating room orderly. When a resident at Temple, he pushed for better wages and working conditions alongside colleagues. After completing basic training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, Keith served as a Captain in the Army Medical Corps for 3 years in Nuremberg, Germany. Those years were an extended adventure for him: Keith took many weekend trips, skied in the Alps, drove on the Autobahn in his beloved Porsche, and soaked up as much art, culture, architecture, music and food as he could. In 1966 he married Diane Quinton, who was working as a nurse at the army hospital in Nuremburg when they met. They came back to the US. in 1967 for Keith’s gastroenterology fellowship at the Wadsworth Veterans Administration hospital in Los Angeles. Upon completion of his fellowship, Keith accepted a position with the Moorestown Medical Associates. He, Diane, & their baby daughter Julie settled in Moorestown, NJ in the summer of 1968 and Keith’s son David was born in 1970. Keith’s work as a gastroenterologist lasted for 20 exemplary years and he provided care both out of his Moorestown office, as well as at Burlington County Memorial Hospital, now known as Virtua Hospital in Mt Holly. Over his many years of service, Keith was a trusted and well-regarded colleague and in 2007, Virtua granted him a lifetime achievement award for his service to the community. Keith found much joy in parenting and was able to be very present for and attentive to his children, even while working long hours. He found easy respite with family and friends: he loved exploring the food and cultural offerings in Philadelphia and New York, and also spent much time outside, doing yard work, playing tennis, sailing, and going for walks. He spent more than 20 Augusts in the Berkshires in Massachusetts, enjoying nature, relaxing with family and listening to classical music at Tanglewood. Keith also maintained a lifelong love of travel and went on many trips domestically and abroad. He would prepare for weeks in advance, studying up on the history and politics of each place he was planning on visiting, as well as on key language phrases he’d need once he arrived at his destination. In 1988, Keith left Moorestown Medical Associates to become Medical Director at Medford Leas, a continuing care retirement community, which during his tenure became a national model of holistic, compassionate and high-quality care. At Medford Leas he was able to care for years for members of what felt to him like a huge, rich, extended family. It was an honor for him and he loved the work. He retired from Medford Leas first in 2006, and returned to serve as Medical Director there again from 2009 until 2013, at which point he retired permanently. In 2002, Keith married Cynthia (Cindy) Muir Preston after divorcing Diane a number of years previously. Keith spoke almost daily of how his time with Cindy was some of the happiest of his life. He relished their relationship and easy way with each other, and became a loving step parent to Tous and Carly Preston, Cindy’s children. Before and after his retirement, Keith’s life with Cindy centered around family, time in nature, and service. Keith volunteered at different points with the Moorestown library, with Urban Promise, and with Our Shared Ground, a non-profit Cindy founded and that they nurtured together for a number of years, dedicated to nutrition and agricultural education for young people. As he got older, Keith continued to connect with and lend a supportive and friendly ear to friends and neighbors, finding joy as well in books, music, and his garden. Keith most loved to spend time with family and to proudly follow the growth and changes in his children’s and grandchildren’s lives. He was always happy to drop everything to play, read books, draw together or offer supportive words or hugs when that suited best. He seemed to many to have nine lives, beating small cell cancer in 2014 and healing from open heart surgery soon after that. Ultimately, Keith confronted the final health challenge posed by CAA, and the rapid onset dementia it brought on, with honesty, humanity and bravery. Keith will always be remembered for his deep intelligence, his warmth, his humor, and his innate ability to help people feel loved and comforted. Keith is survived by his wife Cindy, as well as by daughter Julie and her wife Andrea, son David, his wife Yolanta and their children Sophia and Josh, stepson Tous, his wife Kathleen and daughter Ashlyn, stepdaughter Carly, her husband Josh and their children Hannah and Caleb, as well as by numerous cousins, brother- and sister-in-law’s, nieces and nephews, close friends, as well as neighbors, former colleagues, patients, and others too numerous to count. He was so beloved. He will live on forever in our hearts. A memorial service will be held for Keith on Saturday May 13th at 2pm at Medford Leas, 1 Medford Leas, Medford, NJ 08055. In lieu of Flowers, donations in Keith’s memory can be made in lieu of flowers, to Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice, Inc., at: Samaritan’s Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 71425, Philadelphia, PA 19176-1425.