Benjamin Ignatius Smolenski, M.D., the former president of the Philadelphia Orthopedic Society, passed away on June 9, 2023, at the age of 83.
He was an orthopedic surgeon for 40 years. His family said, “He was renowned for a style of care that mended both patients’ bones and spirits. Possessed of a strong work ethic, his love of medicine nonetheless led him to say that he never worked a day in his life.”
His medical training included an internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York, a residency at the University of Pennsylvania and service at Chanute Air Force base in Rantoul, Illinois.
He had a private practice in Moorestown, New Jersey, which became Smolenski, Brill, and Hayken. He was also on staff at Zurbrugg Memorial Hospital and was chief of orthopedics at Burlington County Memorial Hospital.
He served as president of the Burlington County Medical Society and as president of the Philadelphia Orthopedic Society. Despite all his leadership roles though, he loved to say he was “just a country doc.”
Smolenski was born on May 22, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey, to Benjamin and Victoria, and raised in Irvington, New Jersey. He was the eldest of four children.
When he was young, he was very active in sports, playing football, baseball, and running track. He also became an Eagle Scout.
He earned his undergraduate from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. He then attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. for his medical degree.
Smolenski was with his wife Ann for almost 60 years. He was devoted to both his family and his country.
Once he retired, he and Ann moved to Cape Cod. He spent his time in his garden and playing with his grandchildren. He also volunteered with The Chatham Historical Society, the St. Vincent DePaul Society, and an orthopedic clinic in Hyannis.
Smolenski leaves behind his wife Ann, daughters Meg and Kate; sons Tom and John; and his grandchildren Emma, Grace, Ben, Annie, Alex, Daphne, Annabelle, Ben, Maggie, Clare, and Will. He will also be missed by his sisters Eleanor and Vicki and his brother George and their families.
