Noted Urologist, Textbook Author A. Richard Kendall Dies at 86

A. Richard Kendall of Elkins Park, a longtime urologist who wrote medical textbooks and chaired Temple University’s Department of Urology, died at his home on Jan. 19. He was 86.

“My dad was a no-BS kind of guy,” daughter Amy K. Charles said. “He was very accomplished, but very humble.”

Kendall served as editor-in-chief of the Urology Times, published more than 100 articles throughout his career and edited the Kendall and Karafin Urology Textbook.

Charles recalled how her father was testifying in defense of a fellow physician in a malpractice case when the opposing attorney asked him what textbooks he had read.

“He said, ‘I don’t read textbooks. I write them,’’’ she said.

Career accomplishments for Kendall included being part of the team at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston that performed the second kidney transplant in the world and also joining in the first pediatric renal transplant at St. Christopher’s Hospital.

A Philadelphia native, Kendall was a graduate of Central High School and Franklin & Marshall College. He earned a medical degree from Temple and interned there.

After a five-year stint as a urology resident in Ann Arbor, Mich., he returned to Philadelphia in 1962 to join Temple’s Urology Department faculty. Twelve years later, he was appointed professor and chair of the department. During his 16 years at the helm, he helped train more than 80 urologists.

At Temple, Kendall won the Physician of the Year award and, in 1970, the Christian and Mary Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, Charles said.

At times during his career, Kendall served as president of the Philadelphia Urological Society, chairman of the Residency Review Committee of the American Urology Association (AUA), examiner for the American Board of Urology, AUA representative to the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association (AMA), secretary of the AMA Council on Urology and president of the Philadelphia Urologic and Teaching Research Foundation. He also was elected in 1985 to the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons.

While Kendall always worked hard and practiced well into his 70s — his daughter remembered him coming home for dinner, then leaving again — he found time for his hobbies of travel, golf and collecting 18th century Chinese export art and Delftware.

“He was an incredibly balanced person,” Charles said.

Kendall is survived by his wife, Devorah; daughters Amy K. Charles and Susan Rhode; five grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Donations may be made to The Abramson Center for Jewish Life, 1425 Horsham Road, North Wales, Pa. 19454 or the Philadelphia Urologic and Teaching Foundation (PURT), 1235 Old York Road, Suite 210, Abington, Pa., 19001.

Contact: agotlieb@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0797