ANDOVER: John Lu, M.D., long-time Merrimack Valley family physician and surgeon, passed away Tuesday, October 17, 2006 at his home in Andover. He was 86.
Dr. Lu, born in the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu, attended college there and studied at the Peking Union Medical College during World War II.
He participated in the wholesale dismantling and moving of eastern Chinese cities, before the advancing Japanese army, and the cities’ reassembly in western China, where he completed his medical education at what is now known as Sichuan University, located in his hometown, Chengdu.
He was for a time incarcerated by Japanese troops on suspicion of anti-occupation forces activities.
In post-war revolutionary China he seized the opportunity to travel to the United States provided by the Rockefeller Foundation, which had also funded his medical education, at Peking Union, the only western medical school in China.
In Boston, he completed his surgical residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital and was later an instructor at the Tufts University Medical School.
He was a fellow at the American College of Surgeons and a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Lu settled in Tewksbury, where he was the Chief Surgeon and Medical Director at Tewksbury Hospital before entering private practice.
He practiced medicine at St. John’s Hospital (now known as Saints Medical Center) in Lowell and saw patients in his office in Tewksbury for 46 years.
He leaves his wife Pauline, to whom he was married for 56 years; brother; Milton of Lancaster, PA; sister; Ai-Fong of Shanghai; daughter; Priscilla of Belmont; sons; Stephen of North Andover, John of Andover and David of North Andover; grandchildren; Vanessa Nysten of Windham, NH, Damon Hunt of Boston, Stephen Lu of Saugus, Patrick Lu of North Andover and Caroline, John and Benjamin Lu all of Andover; two great grandchildren; Marina and Arielle Nysten both of Windham, NH.
Calling hours will be held Thursday, October 19th, from 4-8 p.m., at the Farmer & Dee Funeral Home, 16 Lee St., Tewksbury. At the request of the family funeral services are private. Interment at Tewksbury Cemetery.