Locally prominent physician Donald N. Groff died Sunday, October 26. Dr. Groff practiced in Elmira from the late 1940s until the mid-1980s. He graduated as salutatorian from Elmira Free Academy in 1938. He attended the University of Rochester and graduated with honors in History in 1942. He then attended the University of Buffalo Medical School. He graduated from medical school in 1945, a year early in order to join the U.S. Army. He spent much of his time in the Army as a physician on the remote Pacific island of Shemia, Alaska. He had achieved the rank of captain by the time of his release from the Army in 1949. After leaving the Army, Dr. Groff practiced medicine as a general practitioner at 622 Pennsylvania Avenue on the Southside of Elmira. Later he passed the examination to become a Fellow of the American College of Anesthesiologists and practiced as an anesthesiologist for several years. Dr. Groff worked at both the Arnot Ogden Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital in Elmira. He was elected to serve as President of the medical staff at the Arnot for two years. Dr. Groff was a founder and an early President of Health and Credit, an organization that assisted in providing medical-related credit services. Toward the end of his career, he worked as a physician at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bath, NY. Dr. Groff was an inveterate reader and liked to share his sometimes iconoclastic but often prescient views with others. He wrote a column entitled the "Other Side of the Coin" for the Chemung County Medical Journal for several years and later wrote a column entitled the "Old Curmudgeon" for the Chemung Valley Reporter. He also presented a paper on the Elmira Civil War prison camp for Chemung County Historical Society. Dr. Groff was active in community affairs. He was elected to the Elmira school board in the 1950s and served for one term. He was an early proponent of school reform and strongly supported increased funding for education. Later he became actively committed in the environmental movement and headed the Chemung County Clean Air Committee for several years. He was given the "Key to Chemung County" in 1995 for his dedicated service to the Chemung County community. Dr. Groff was a generous donor to numerous charities, particularly educational institutions and environmental groups. Dr. Groff was predeceased by his wife Muriel Trost Groff in 1980. He is survived by five sons, Walter L. Groff, Neil K. Groff, Alfred C. Groff, George S. Groff and Edward F. Groff. He also leaves behind thirteen grandchildren, Cory Coleman, Craig Coleman, Cindy Groff-Vindman, Sarah Groff Raynor, Matthew Groff, Muriel Groff, David Groff, Allison Groff Brenner, Isabelle Groff, Bradley Groff, Meredith Groff, Zachary Groff and Edward Groff. In addition, he leaves ten great grandchildren. Dr. Groff was particularly proud that eight of his descendants hold doctorate degrees in medicine or demanding academic fields and was relieved that only one of his descendants turned out to be a lawyer. Dr. Groff was 94. He died peacefully in his home of natural causes. The family requests that no flowers be sent. Contributions can be sent to Greenpeace or to the Muriel T. Groff scholarship fund at Elmira College. A celebration of Dr. Groff's life will be held at an as yet unscheduled future date. Guest book may be signed in obituaries at www.olthof.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Olthof Funeral Home, Inc.
