Remembering APTANJ Past President, Stanley Mendelson, 92

Stanley Mendelson (1930 - 2023) passed away last week on Wednesday, March 15 at his home in Somerset, NJ at the age of 92. He had been an APTANJ member since 1952 holding several positions on the executive committee and on various committees during his career. He served as APTANJ President from 1967 to 1970 as well as Vice President, Treasurer and on many advisory boards and committees.  

You can read Stanley's obituary here

APTANJ past vice president & secretary, Leslie Marcks delivered the following eulogy honoring Stanley:Stanley Mendelson was a great man

Stanley passionately loved his wife; Isabelle

Stanley devotedly loved his 2 children; Gail and Barbara

Stanley generously loved his sons-in-law; Michael and David

Stanley proudly loved his 4 granddaughters; Jamie, Amanda, Elizabeth and Rachel

Stanley tenderheartedly loved his great granddaughter; Isabelle

Stanley sweetly loved his special friend; Barbara

Stanley ardently loved his friends; you all know who you are…birthday party participators

Stanley boldly and pridefully loved the profession of physical therapy

I have known Stanley for 30 years.  In that time I have gotten to know this great man.  There are several words/phases that are synonymous with Stanley

• Loving: as I’ve shared for this family, his friends and his profession
• Advocating: for the underdog, for the weak, for the injured, for the less fortunate, for principles, and for those he loved
• Mentor and a teacher
• Caregiver

Stanley was born on July 15, 1930.  He attended Brooklyn College and received a BS in Health and Physical Education.  After graduation he worked at the post office and pondered his career path.  A coworker introduced him to physical therapy, and Stanley quickly realized that this was what he wanted to do.  He attended the University of Iowa and this started his career of service and leadership that continued to his last day.

Together with his wife, Isabelle, Stanley moved from Iowa back to his native state of NJ and began his PT career and started his family.  Throughout his professional career he strived to be a living example of the University of Iowa’s PT program, which was…“if you want to make a mark, get involved”.

Stanley began working at Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, NJ.  He then opened a private practice in 1960.  He balanced his independent practice with continued work in hospital and nursing homes, developing expertise in caring for patients with hand injuries and those recovering from trauma. Stanley saw through his patient’s injuries and cared for the whole individual.  He did not just deliver treatment…he provided care.

Early in Stanley's career he accepted many responsibilities and leadership roles within the NJ chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (I counted 10 including President, VP, Treasurer and numerous committee chairs).  He served on numerous advisory committees for academic institutions in NJ.

He completed a Master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University and in 1972, he became an instructor at the newly formed physical therapist assistant program at Essex County College.

Stanley became the program director in 1975 and instituted a wide range of policies designed to support student success.  Stanley is quoted as saying “we are all teachers whether we are in teaching (as with the program at Essex County College) or we are in practice….we are all teachers and this is a great and noble responsibility.

Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Stanley drew upon his experiences as an educator and a clinical leader to help elevate the standards for education and licensure of Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants across the country.  He served with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) as an on-site reviewer for the PTA programs.  In the late 1990s he led the efforts of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy to develop uniform educational competencies for foreign-educated physical therapists.  This work created the foundation for the competencies that are still in use today.  This is also the time when I met Stanley.

So, I am going to digress a moment and tell you a story that is a perfect example of Stanley

I was very young, and newly appointed to the NJ Board of Physical Therapist Examiners.  No experience.  NO real idea of what to do.  I walked into a packed board room and looked around.  I am sure my eyes were the size of ½ dollars.  I know I was nervous.  After looking around the table, my eyes alighted on Stanley Mendelson and his smile.  The senior most person at the table.  The one with the most experience.  The most knowledgeable and the most wise.  And Stanley said, “come here and sit by me”.

• Routing for the underdog
• Fierce advocate
• Willing teacher
• Mighty Mentor

For these past 30 years Stanley has helped me and many others grow.  He has been a tenacious teacher and mentor. He has willingly given his advice, wisdom, and knowledge.

I had the honor to conduct an interview of Stanley for the New Jersey Chapter of the APTA’s 70^th Anniversary.  He is quoted as saying “the role of the physical therapist is always to work to be better.

You need to give of yourself to the patient and the profession.

Always be kind.

You need to be involved and not sit on the sidelines.

Stay updated.

Share what you know.

Pay it forward.

And…the future is bright”.

From Stanley I learned many things:

I learned to protest politely but effectively.

From Stanley, I learned to fight proudly when I thought it was right, but not many others did.

From Stanley, I learned that when there is a problem, it is necessary to be a part of the solution.

From Stanley I learned to step up and not remain idly sitting on the sidelines.

From Stanley, I learned to be a part of the change.

From Stanley, I learned that change takes time and a lot of hard work, but that work is totally worth the effort.

Stanley was a PT, a teacher, a mentor, a friend, and a food connoisseur (let me emphasize oysters, pastrami, and escargot).

He was also a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather.

Stanley Mendelson was a great man.