Margaret A. Fontana
Friday, July 25, 1924
Date of Death:
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Age:
91 years old
Friday, July 25, 1924
Date of Death:
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Age:
91 years old
Friday, July 25, 1924
Date of Death:
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Age:
91 years old
Margaret A. Fontana
Margaret Schlegel Fontana, 91, and resident of Charter House in Rochester, died Saturday, January 30, 2016, at St. Mary’s Hospital.
She was born July 25, 1924 to Lloyd and Anna Margaret Schlegel in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
She attended Wellesley College, then Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.
She was the first woman accepted to a surgical residency program at Philadelphia General Hospital. There, she met Robert Scott Fontana, and they were married September 26, 1953. They then moved to Rochester, Minnesota where her husband Robert completed an internal medicine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic before joining the thoracic disease section at Mayo.
Margaret raised their five children, after which she returned to medicine in obstetrics and gynecology. She practiced for the next thirteen years with the Olmsted Medical Group, retiring in 1989.
She is survived by her four children, Scott (Peggy) Fontana of Lakeville, Elizabeth (Dave) Remy of Hingham Massachusetts, Christopher (Laura) Fontana of Warrenville, Illinois and Kathryn (Charles) Dale of Fox Island, Washington, as well as six grandchildren, Sarah, Charles Jr., Patrick, Lisa, Laura and Kara.
She is also survived by her sister, Kathryn (Douglas) Kaufman of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, son Mark, brother William Schlegel and her parents.
A Memorial Service will be celebrated at Charter House on Friday, February 5, 2016 at 10:30AM. Father John Lasuba will officiate. Interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery (500 11th Avenue NE, Rochester, 55906.)
Memorial donations may be made to the American Lung Association (490 Concordia Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55103; www.lung.org.)
Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com.
Condolences
The family of Margaret A. Fontana has received the following condolences.
Our grandparents were close friends with neighboring vacation homes in Ocean City, NJ. My mother always looked forward to a visit from "Mag"during the summer. After her passing a few years ago, I received a lovely note from your mother. She was fond of my mother as well and said she learned to make pies from her. Don't know if she put that into practice with her busy life.
Once, at the beach, I remember picking my daughter up by the arms when she was very young. The kitchen door flew open and your mother came out to explain that little elbows could be damaged by that action. Why do I remember that clearly from 50 years ago? Your memories will keep your mother close.
Please accept my sincere sympathy on your loss,
Lynda Kunkelman
Your mother was my first female doctor. She made me feel like I was her only patient giving me time and kindness.
When she told me she was retiring I asked her who I would find to replace her. She said there's a lot of good doctors in this field. But I never found one like your mom. My deepest sympathy.