Dr. Harry Bauer, at 86, was 'old-school' physician in Needham

During a 50-year career as an internist, Dr. Bauer never hesitated to see a patient, make house calls, or attend the funerals of patients who died, said his son Matthew of Washington, D.C.

"To him, medicine was a noble profession - he always used that term - and he was very much an old-school physician who devoted as much time as was necessary to the patient," he said. "He was not like a factory."

Even at 84, when Dr. Bauer retired in 2006, he was reluctant to do so, citing his elderly patients who were accustomed to his care and the notion that he had a "responsibility to contribute to society," Matthew said.

Dr. Bauer, who spent his medical career in Needham, where he ran his own practice and served at the former Glover Memorial Hospital, died May 6 at Tippett Hospice Home in Needham from chronic renal disease and congestive heart failure. He was 86.

"He was very proud of being a doctor, and he always used to say, 'I feel like I need to give something back,' " said his son Bob of Strafford, Vt. "To him, it didn't make any sense to stop working if he could keep working. To me, that speaks to his generosity of spirit. He thrived on helping people."

Dr. Bauer began his medical career in 1956 when he opened a practice in Needham. He also became affiliated with the medical staff at Glover Memorial, which became the Needham branch of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, serving as an internist with a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease.

At Beth Israel, Dr. Bauer had a number of roles, including chief of medicine, president of the medical staff, director of medical education, director of quality assurance, and chairman of the clinical patient care assessment committee.

"He had a very special approach," said Merrill Adler, director of Social Service and Case Management at Beth Israel.

"I would come up to the patient care units, and he would always ask if I had a minute - he was very respectful of my time and work - and then he would . . . say, "Why don't we go in and talk with the family together.' He thought it was important for the family to see the team approach.

"He really valued the expertise of everyone who was taking care of the patient."

The hospital board of trustees honored Dr. Bauer in 2004 for his commitment to the highest ethical practices, leadership of the hospital's Ethics Committee, and his 20-year tenure as the hospital's patient care assessment coordinator.

"My father was a gentleman," Matthew said. "He rarely lost his temper. One of his favorite expressions was 'grace under pressure.' "

Adler, who knew Dr. Bauer for nearly 30 years, called his 2006 retirement "the end of an era."

"You just don't have that kind of doctor anymore," she said.

Born in Vienna, Dr. Bauer moved to London with his family in 1938 after the Nazi takeover.

Two years later, they moved to New York City. Working during the day and attending school by night, he soon attained the equivalent of a high school diploma through City College of New York.

With the help of a scholarship awarded by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Dr. Bauer graduated with honors from the University of Toledo in 1946 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry.

In 1950, Dr. Bauer earned a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.

From August 1950 to June 1953, Dr. Bauer served as a captain in the US Army Medical Corps in Germany.

By 1955, Dr. Bauer had completed his residency in internal medicine at the former Boston City Hospital, now Boston Medical Center.

In that same year, Dr. Bauer married Ruth Paul of Swampscott, whom he met at Boston City Hospital while she was working as a medical social worker. Mrs. Bauer died in 2006 from cancer and congestive heart failure, Matthew said.

The couple lived in Cambridge before moving to Needham in 1956, where he opened his private practice.

Dr. Bauer was involved with the Massachusetts Medical Society, serving as chairman of its accreditation committee and president of its Charles River District Medical Society.

The Charles River District named him community clinician of the year in 2004.

Dr. Bauer also served as school physician for Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury in the 1970s, Matthew said.

A pianist, Dr. Bauer enjoyed playing classical music and hosting chamber music sessions in his home, Matthew said.

"He and my mother regularly attended musical and cultural events" throughout the region, he said.

Dr. Bauer also enjoyed playing bridge and earned the title of Life Master after participating in numerous area tournaments. He was a Red Sox and Bruins fan and also enjoyed watching tennis and soccer matches.

Dr. Bauer often returned to London and Austria "to reconnect with his roots and childhood memories," Matthew said.

"In spite of what the country did to him, he still had a very strong cultural and emotional connection to Vienna," he said, adding that his father took his sons to Vienna twice when they were younger.

Aside from his sons, Mr. Bauer leaves three grandchildren and a nephew.

A memorial service will be held Sunday at noon in Temple Beth Shalom in Needham.