Robert A Fischl MD

Robert A. Fischl, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, who was Chief of the Plastic Surgery Section of Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT for 24 years, and in private practice there, passed away on May 26th at Stamford Hospital after a long illness. He was a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Fairfield County Medical Society, and a former president of the Connecticut Society of Plastic Surgery. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

He was born in Dresden, Germany, and left there with his family in 1939. They settled in the north of England, where he attended the Royal Grammar School of Newcastle, and the University of Newcastle and its medical school. He served as a surgeon in the Royal Army Medical Corp in the Malaysian Campaign of 1953-1955, then came to the United States for additional training. Before leaving England, he was elected to the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons of England. In New York, he became a resident in plastic surgery at what is now the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He practiced at Mount Sinai for a decade before moving his office and home to Connecticut. In 1966, he became a proud citizen of the United States.

Dr. Fischl invented several instruments used in plastic surgery, among them a scalpel, a forceps and a needle-holder. He also developed several original procedures, and was the author of numerous papers that appeared in professional journals.

He was an accomplished artist, and for ten years he a taught a course called “Anatomy for Artists” at the Silvermine Art Center in New Canaan, Connecticut.

His paintings were handled by galleries in Connecticut and in Hawaii, where he lived in the winter after retirement. His work is in collections in France, Italy, England, Greece, Hawaii, California, New York and Connecticut.

His travel photographs were published in the magazine section of the New York Daily News and the New York Post.

He is survived by his wife, Irene; his sister, Renate Koppel of Cwmerfyn, Wales; his nieces, Jessica Koppel of London, Dr. Sian Koppel of Cardiff, Wales; Ruth (Huw) Morris of Wales; his nephews Gideon Koppel of Norwich; and Hanno Koppel of Brighton.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, May 30th at 10am, at Temple Shalom, 300 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT. www.LeoPGallagherStamford.com