Dr. George Benzing III

Dr. George Benzing

Dr. George Benzing III died on May 29, 2020 in Assisted Living at Fairfield Place. He was born on November 18, 1926 to George Benzing Jr. and Esther (Rudder) Benzing in Dayton, Kentucky. At some point they came to live in Hamilton, Ohio and later moved to a farm in Clermont County. George graduated from Glendale High School in 1944, as the class Salutatorian. He served in the United States Army from March 1945 to December 1946 with the rank of Sergeant. After honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, George began his educational journey to become a physician. In 1950 he earned his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Cincinnati. In 1958 he received his Medical Degree from UC. He served his Internship from 1958-59. From 1959 -1961 Dr. Benzing served a pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. From 1961-1964, he trained at the National Heart Institute, Department of Pediatrics, while serving a Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Dr. Benzing joined the Division of Cardiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 1964 and was a member of the team that performed the first heart transplant there in 1968. During open heart surgery, it was Dr. Benzing’s responsibility to make sure the heart-lung machine functioned properly. He also co-directed the pediatric intensive care unit with Dr. Lowe. Dr. Benzing was also an inventor, who developed various medical devices, among them a heart monitor used during open heart surgery and a pediatric pacemaker monitor. Researcher should be added to the list of Dr. George’s roles. His interest in the effects of perfusion to heart muscles led to the first heart transplant in 1968. This is only one example of his extensive research efforts. Benzing traveled with a team to Peru and Venezuela at the request of the State Department to demonstrate heart-lung technology. Teaching was another forte of this physician. He was a professor of pediatrics for the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine from 1964-1998, when he became Professor Emeritus. Benzing authored and co-authored numerous articles for many medical publications concerning pediatric cardiology, pediatric research, cardiac surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass and heart transplants. When we lost George Benzing, we lost a pioneer, an inventor, a researcher, a teacher, an author, a friend and a physician, who dedicated his life to serving very ill children and saving countless lives.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Elizabeth Ellen Schnacke. He leaves behind his devoted cousin, Norman Bunting from Columbus, Ohio and his nephew, Arthur Schnacke, many colleagues , former students, fellow physicians and friends.

Visitation will be Sunday, June 7, 2020 from 2PM until time of service at 4PM at the Avance Funeral Home and Crematory 4976 Winton Road, Fairfield, Ohio 45014. Chaplain Richard Livingood will be officiating. Burial will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Condolences may be offered at www.avancefuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. George Benzing III, please visit our floral store.