IN REMEMBRANCE : Dr . Irvin E . Bronner 10 / 23 / 1932-04 / 14 / 2024
Dr . Irvin Bronner was born in October 1932 in Louisville . He attended St . Xavier High School and completed undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville . In 1958 , he received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Louisville , truly a hometown boy made good . He went on to finish his obstetrics and gynecology residency training at St . Joseph Infirmary , serving as Chief Resident from 1959 until 1963 . Luckily , he met Mary Patricia “ Pat ” O ’ Bryan and married her in 1955 . They had four children in a short span of time , Cynthia , Raymond , Edward and Eric . Sadly , his son Edward predeceased him .
Irv saw the need for quality obstetric care in Louisville ’ s South End . He established an OB-GYN practice in the carriage house of an office building off Dixie Highway , and it quickly thrived . He delivered babies at SSME Hospital ( now UofL / Mary and Elizabeth ), at St . Joseph infirmary and then at Audubon Hospital when it opened . This was where I met him , as I began my OB-GYN practice .
Irv was drafted as a surgeon during the Vietnam War in 1966 . He served stateside in Texas for two years then was honorably discharged as a Major .
His family vacations revolved around his obtaining needed CMEs . His family remembers his absences from many ball games , recitals and holiday dinners as the exigencies of a demanding obstetric career took him away ; he always returned , eager as ever to be there for them .
Irv was a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology , and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology ( ACOG ). He served as President of the Louisville Obstetrics and Gynecology Society , President of the medical staff and
Department Chair of OB-GYN at Audubon Hospital . Professional society memberships include the American Medical Association , Kentucky Medical Association , Greater Louisville Medical Society , Louisville Obstetrics and Gynecology Society and the Kentucky section of the ACOG .
He is remembered best by those of us who shared night call with him for decades , Dr . Bob McQuady , Dr . Katharine Garrison , Dr . Susan Bornstein , Dr . Harriette “ Robin ” Smith and me . He was a man of the most upright moral fiber . He was calm and supremely competent in caring for his and our patients . I never worried about patients when handing over care to him . He delivered ( pun intended ) the highest obstetric care to our mutual patients , keeping up nicely with advances in gynecology and obstetrics . His own patients adored him , he listened to their cares and concerns and responded in kind . Irv was always thinking of others , I still cherish the blooming “ Lucky Shamrock ” ( Oxalis-Regnelli ) that he gifted us all one Christmas in the late 1980s . Mine survives to this day despite having been moved to two new homes over the decades .
An excellent sense of humor carried him through his life ; he was a founding member of the Order of the Otter , a group of parents whose Boy Scout sons met regularly at Otter Creek Park . He was a man of many talents , including an interest in the stock market , and designing and building a terraced wall in his back yard .
In his later years , he and Pat were able to travel to many sites in the U . S . and abroad , including Ireland and Scandinavia . He lost Pat in 2019 but took comfort in his children and grandchildren .
Irv Bronner was a true Southern gentleman . It was an honor to share patient care with him .
-Elaine Stauble , MD
Dr . Bronner was a GLMS member for 61 years .
26 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE