Harold Axe

With deep sorrow we mourn the passing of Dr. Harold Axe Sunday, April 19, 2020 at the age of 77. A native of Philadelphia PA, he attended Temple University undergraduate and medical school, interned at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School with his final year as Chief Resident at Albert Einstein Medical Center back in Philadelphia where he met his wife Vicki Lynn Grant in a choir on his off-hours.

Following his marriage to Vicki in 1971, Dr. Axe served as a Major for two years in the United States Air Force at Lockbourne Air Force Base outside of Columbus OH. They spent the next two years in Israel, where he practiced Allergy at Tel HaShomer Hospital in Tel Aviv, before settling back in the US.

With Allergy and Immunology practices in Lower Manhattan and Rural Ohio, Dr. Axe was adored by his Ohio patients for enabling them to work their farms and care for their animals, and by his NYC patients who were able to keep their beloved pets and run marathons.

Known for the sparkle in his eyes, his broad smile, and readiness with a joke for patients, friends, and family alike, Dr. Axe was a foodie, excited by the finest culinary experiences. He had a passion for travel, researching his destinations and planning every moment of his many trips abroad and throughout the US with pre-arranged restaurant reservations, theatre tickets, and a printed itinerary for all of the indigenous cultural sights. His love of lazy summer days on the beach made Fire Island an Axe Family happy place. His hobbies ranged from photography to model trains to boating to private pilot flying. His well-equipped workbench was the source of many DIY projects.

His greatest joy was his family, his beloved wife of 48 years, Rabbi Vicki Axe, his devoted children Judah and Ellie, Noah and Amira, Gabe, and Dan, and adoring grandchildren Maren and Nora, Jillian and Augustin. He is also survived by his older brother, Dr. Allen and Lois Axe and older sister, Nikki and Len Feldmen, eight nieces and nephews, and twelve great-nieces and nephews.

After a ten year struggle with Frontotemperal Dementia (FTD), an untreatable neurological disease that progressively robbed him of cognitive and motor processing including the ability to speak, he died peacefully at the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing Home in Pawling NY where he was lovingly cared for by the medical and support staff to his very last breath.

According to his wishes to benefit medical research he is donating his brain to the Mayo Clinic and the rest of his body to Temple Medical School.

A Zoom Memorial Service is planned for Wednesday, April 22 at 1:00pm. In lieu of gifts or flowers, please consider a donation to Congregation Shir Ami http://www.congregationshirami.org/donate.html, The Association for Frontotemperal Degeneration https://www.theaftd.org/support-aftds-mission/, or Caring Bridge bit.ly/2VKR9o