Claude E. Koprowski

Claude Koprowski, M.D. passed away June 1, 2020 at the age of 80 after a 12-year battle with Alzheimers. He was at Woodholme Gardens in Pikesville. He was born February 5, 1940 in Neuilly Sur Seine, France to Drs. Irena and Hilary Koprowski, who had just fled the Nazis invasion of their native Poland. The family then spent the next four years living in Brazil before permanently relocating to the United States in 1944. Educated first at The Lawrenceville School before graduating from Princeton in 1962, Claude received an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. He worked as a reporter for the Washington Post from 1963 to 1968, covering crime and politics at the City Desk. In 1967, he met the love of his life, Elizabeth nee Gustafson, whom he married shortly thereafter. In his 30s, he decided to follow his family’s calling, earning a medical degree from S.U.N.Y. Downstate, NY. After graduation, he specialized in emergency medicine and became chief of several emergency departments, first in Rhode Island, then in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where he also served as editor of The Record, the magazine of the Broward County Medical Association. He moved to Oxford, MD in 1993 and finished out his career in emergency medicine at Memorial Hospital in Easton. After taking an early retirement, he became a deputy medical examiner for Talbot County, because he felt could provide a community service to families of the deceased. While dedicated to his friends and family, Claude was also a man of many passions, including scuba diving, sailing, woodworking, opera, chamber music, Tred Avon Players and cooking. He and Liz fell in love with the Oxford community. They also enjoyed scuba diving vacations with their son, Hilary, and daughter, Alexandra, to exotic corners of the world, including the Galapagos, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Truk Lagoon and the Caribbean. He also spoke four languages, guest edited articles for the Star Democrat, was an Aspen Institute Wye Fellow, co-founded the Talbot Cinema Society and was active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Claude is survived by his wife of 52 years, Liz; two children, Hilary (Christy) and Alexandra (J. Alex); four grandchildren, Elena, Elise, Cecilia and Cole; and a brother, Christopher. He will be interned in the Oxford Cemetery at a later date, and the family plans to have a party celebrating his life when it is safe to gather again. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in his name be sent to Chesapeake Music, the Alzheimers Association or to a charity of your choice. For online condolences, please visit www.fhnfuneralhome.com.

Claude E. Koprowski

February 5, 1940 - June 1, 2020