Dr. Philip L. Gildenberg

DR. PHILIP L. GILDENBERG Philip Leon Gildenberg (March 15, 1935 - January 15, 2020) was born in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to parents Ida and Samuel Gildenberg.  As a boy, Philip set his sights on becoming a neurosurgeon.  He attended Valley Forge Military Academy, where he played flute in the school band and was salutatorian of his graduating class.  After attending the University of Pennsylvania (A.B., Zoology, with Honors), he attained his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon through his studies at Temple Medical School (M.D., M.A. in Experimental Neurology, and PhD. in Neurophysiology). Dr. Gildenberg's professional/research/teaching career spanned several decades that led him from Temple to the U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland; Detroit, Michigan; back to Temple Hospital; Frankfurt, Germany; the Cleveland Clinic; the University of Arizona (Tucson); and finally to Houston, Texas, at the University of Texas Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine, among others.  He held many prestigious positions nationally and internationally in the field of functional and stereotactic neurosurgery, and he valued his role as a mentor to young doctors.  There are also scholarships named in his honor, several patents for his inventions, and many medical publications in which he was an author and/or editor. Outside of his professional career, Phil led a quiet life at home with his beloved wife of over 33 years, Patricia Franklin.  They were rarely apart, both personally and professionally, even in their last days, with Pat passing away three days after Phil. He shared a special bond with son Ron over their love of Blue Bell coffee ice cream and Houston sports; daughter Laura during their Sudoku puzzle competitions; and daughter Xan especially after her children were born and he and Pat moved nearby. Philip was predeceased by his parents, Ida Gildenberg Kline and Samuel Gildenberg; son Steve; brother Robert (Nancy); and brother and sister-in-law David and Vivian.  He is survived by his children Ron (Rita), Laura, Xan (Chris), and Susan (Robert); six grandchildren, who lovingly call him Zayde; his nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and their families; many friends and colleagues; and his four-legged pal, golden retriever Penny.