Hildegard Julie Medicus, DMD

Dr. Hildegard Julie Medicus, D.M.D., 80

Brunswick - Dr. Hildegard Julie Medicus, D.M.D., 80, of One The Knoll, East Acres, Brunswick, died peacefully Wednesday August 20, 2008 at Northwoods at Troy Rehabilitation Center after a long illness.

Born in Frankfurt, Germany as the youngest of three children of Gustav Schmelz and Elisabeth Neunhoeffer Schmelz, she grew up in Düsseldorf. She studied dentistry at the University of Basle and Marburg receiving her D.M.D. from the later. She then specialized in orthodontics with studies at the Medical Academy in Düsseldorf, earning her diploma. She then was a postdoctoral fellow at the universities of Liege, Belgium, and Zurich, Switzerland and the Forsyth Dental Center in Boston, MA. During that time she published several professional papers.

After her marriage in 1961 she lived with her husband, Prof. Heinrich Medicus of R.P.I. in the Town of Brunswick. She was, for several years, a research affiliate at Forsyth Dental Center. She also was for some time an instructor at the Hudson Valley Community College in the Department of Dental Hygiene. Because her foreign credentials were not recognized in the State of New York, she had to take and pass 16 exams to practice dentistry. After that she opened her dental office in Troy, limiting her practice to orthodontics, being at that time the only woman dentist in the region. She was a member of the American Dental Association, the European Orthodontic Society, the German Orthodontic Society, the Troy Dental Study Club, the American Association of University Woman and the Hudson-Mohawk Swiss Society. For many years she and her husband were active, supportive members of the local arts community, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Troy Chromatic Concerts, Friends of Chamber Music, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Rensselaer County Historical Society, Brunswick Historical Society. Dr. Medicus was also a member of R.P.I. Women's Club serving for some time as its treasurer, a member of The First United Presbyterian Church of Troy and was listed in 'Who's Who in American Women'. She loved gardening, classical music and hiking.

Survivors in addition to her husband of 47 years include her five nieces and children living in Germany and Switzerland; her cousin living in France and his daughters in Monaco and New York; a sister-in-law in Zurich and a sister-in-law in Germany. She was predeceased by two brothers.

Friends are invited to attend the funeral service which will be held Wednesday at 11:00 AM at The First United Presbyterian Church , 1915 Fifth Avenue, Troy, with Rev. Alexandra Lusak, Pastor, officiating.

Interment will be in Eagle Mills Cemetery at a later date.

Contributions may be made in memory of Dr. Hildegard Medicus to the American Cancer Society 260 Osborne Road Loudonville, NY 12211 or Albany Symphony Orchestra Inc. 19 Clinton Avenue Albany, NY 12207 or the charity of ones choice.

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