Deceased November 4, 1984
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In Memory
A gentle and good man has left us. On Nov. 4, 1984, Peter died of heart disease. He had known of his heart condition for some time. Perhaps this knowledge had instilled his life with a sense of purpose and mission that most of us will never know. Perhaps it was simply that his heart was too large for the mortal frame which bore it. At the time of his death, Peter was near his home where he lived with his wife, Joanna Aufrere Buehler; his daughter, Laurie; and son Tristan Kane. Home was Issaquah, Wash., a town not far from Seattle, near a lake at the foot of the Cascade Mountains.
A member of the class of 1962 at Montclair (N.J.) High School, Peter graduated from Amherst cum laude and from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1970. He completed both his internship and a residence in general surgery at the Roosevelt Hospital at Columbia University, where he became chief surgical resident. He spent two years in the air force as surgeon in chief at the Mountain Home (Idaho) Air Force Base. Peter then returned to the University of Rochester for a two-year residence in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
He then joined the faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1979, after finishing a fellowship in head and neck surgery and oncology at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, N.Y.
He had only begun to leave his remarkable imprint on the Seattle community. At the time of his death, Pete was an assistant professor of surgery. A noted plastic surgeon, he was recognized for his clinical expertise in laser technology. His other clinical and research interests included wound healing, reducing scar formation and reconstructive surgery after mastectomy. He recently received national recognition for his analysis of the clinical problems faced by women at high risk for breast cancer.
Peter cared for patients with a wide scope of medical problems. He was an attending physician at University Hospital, Harborview Medical Center, Pacific Medical Center and Children’s Orthopedic Hospital & Medical Center, all in the Seattle area. He also conducted numerous workshops in surgical techniques for practicing physicians throughout this area and nationwide. At the time of his death, he was scheduled to conduct a seminar at Rutgers before a surgical group at the St. Barnabas Medical Center. In addition, Peter was the author of numerous monographs in his field and a member of a number of professional and honorary associations. He was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery Therapy.
Peter was a healer in all senses of the word. By nature, training and experience, he cared about people and improving the human condition. He was loved by those that he worked with and by those that he treated.
Peter always had time for everyone. He especially had time for Amherst friends. Peter always felt that his time at the college was when he matured intellectually, and certainly it was a place and time where his unique skills and sensitivities came into focus. He and Joanna were married by Bruce Morgan in Johnson Chapel. Later, Peter returned on several occasions to play in the alumni hockey games.
In commenting on Peter’s remarkable life, the chairman of the UW Department of Surgery notes: “Above and beyond his professional contributions, Dr. Buehler will be most missed for his personal qualities: his cheerful demeanor and his dedication to his patients.”