LEONARD BRODSKY

By PATTY FERNANDEZ-ROCHA
Herald Writer

Oldest daughter Karen Kett is a nurse. Daughter Amy Whitley is a radiologist. Son Philip was an emergency medical technician who now serves in the Army. Only daughter Liz Buchman chose a different career path; she's a banker.

``My father said he didn't want to push all of us into medicine, so he begged me to do something else,'' Buchman said Saturday as she remembered her father, a cardiologist and former chief of medicine at Cedars Medical Center, who died Friday after a heart attack. He was 69.

Brodsky received his bachelor's degree from Temple University and medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical University, both in his hometown of Philadelphia.

He brought his family to Miami in 1958 while he completed a fellowship at the Veterans Administration Hospital, then housed at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.

``He was totally able to see the different aspects of a person's health,'' said his wife of 39 years, Elizabeth, a nurse.``He coordinated the medical, family and surgical aspects.''

``He was giving, service-oriented,'' said daughter Amy Whitley.

For 10 years, Brodsky lectured worldwide for the International Surgical Society. He was recently honored by his peers as one of ``The Best Doctors in America -- Southeast Region,'' a survey conducted of physicians.

Brodsky taught internal medicine at the University of Miami medical school for the past 15 years. In addition to Cedars, he was on staff at South Miami and Baptist hospitals, and was a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Brodsky, a World War II Navy veteran, was also an avid sportsman who enjoyed skiing, racquetball and bicycling in Coconut Grove.

In addition to his wife, son and daughters, Brodsky is survived by four grandchildren.

Services are 11:30 a.m. today at Stanfill Funeral Home, 10545 S. Dixie Hwy. Visitation is at 10 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Foundation or Camillus House.