F1924 ... 2009

Dr. Guy Donald Niswander, 84, of Concord died peacefully Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, at home, surrounded by his family's love.

He was born Nov. 30, 1924, in Wilkinsburg, Pa., a son of Guy Washington Niswander and Bess Rhodes Niswander. His childhood was spent in Coopers, W.Va., and he graduated from Bramwell West Virginia High School. His undergraduate studies took him to Bethany College in Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and finally to University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore. He spent his internship at Cincinnati General Hospital and additionally spent a year's residency in general medicine. He served as a corpsman with the U.S. Navy at Bethesda Naval Hospital during World War II. He finished his residency in psychiatry at Boston Psychopathic Hospital.

In 1954, Dr. Niswander began his notable career with the state of New Hampshire as a board certified senior psychiatrist at New Hampshire Hospital. He served as acting superintendent and taught psychiatry to many classes of nurses, medical students, social workers and other disciplines. He also had staff affiliation at Dartmouth Medical School. Early in his career, he became interested in addiction and was considered by many to be a forerunner in the treatment of substance abuse. He is credited with starting the first methadone clinic in the state of New Hampshire, and as a part of his interests in outreach programs for the mentally ill, he participated in and evaluated studies on psychiatric drugs.

He was published in several psychiatric journals over the years and was co-author of A Panorama of Suicide, published in 1973, seeking to explain by psychological autopsies the reasons for many unexplained suicides.

For several years, he was a member of the National Institute of Mental Health certification team that did psychiatric-survey and quality-control evaluations of mental hospitals all over the United States. He finished his career at the Community Mental Health Center, Riverbend, in Concord.

He enjoyed his retirement for many years and traveled to Europe, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Alaska. He spent many winter months in both Englewood and St. Augustine, Fla. He challenged himself daily with the New York Times crossword puzzle and was an avid reader of three daily newspapers and constant books, journals and magazines. He enjoyed and supported local artists, and he loved warm summer days, a good game of bridge and intelligent political discussion. He enjoyed gardening and loved flowers, especially orchids. Always known for his sensitive and kind manner, he maintained a positive and cheery attitude and sense of humor. Four of his most hopeful wishes in life were fulfilled in recent years: to ride in a Rolls Royce and a Mack truck, to have a Democrat back in the White House, and for the Red Sox to win the World Series.

He leaves his wife of 57 years, Patricia Damon Niswander; children, Susan Skarp of Ponte Verda, Fla., Ann Laplaca and husband, Rob Laplaca, of Oldsmar, Fla., Donald R. Niswander and wife, Ethel Niswander, of Pembroke, Patricia Niswander and husband, Michael Major, of Franklin, and Geoffrey D. Niswander of Warner; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

( Material From: Concord News - Concord, NH, USA - August 26, 2009 )