Dr. Lewis D. Yecies

January 23, 2011 

WATERTOWN, N.Y.  —  Dr. Lewis D. Yecies, 66, of Paddock Street, passed away Sunday, Jan. 23, from complications due to pancreatic cancer.  

Dr. Yecies established his own allergy, asthma and immunology practice, North Country Allergy, in Watertown in 1984, after serving as Assistant Professor of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Dr. Yecies was chairman of the Department of Medicine at Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown, from 1993 to 1999.  At the time of his death, he was the medical staff delegate to The American Medical Association from Samaritan Medical Center. He also served as secretary-treasurer of the Medical Staff at Samaritan from 1999 to 2001 and was a member of the Medical Executive Committee of the Medical Center from 1985 to 2001.

Known as an insightful strategist and change agent for access to quality healthcare, Dr. Yecies held a number of major leadership positions in national and local medical organizations over the past 25 years, including the prestigious American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest and foremost association dedicated to the physician, patient and the profession.

These positions include delegate and member positions on the  AMA's Governing Council, Organized Medical Staff Section; president, secretary and treasurer of the Medical Society of Jefferson County; president of the  Fifth District of the Medical Society of the State of New York; Chairman of the Organized Medical Staff Section of the Medical Society State of New York; delegate to the Medical Society of the State of New York, House of Delegates for the Medical Society of Jefferson County;  Founding Member and Chairman of the Jefferson Physicians Organization; and Board of Directors Member of the American Lung Association of Central New York.  He also served on the Medical Society of the State of New York's Task Force for Clinical Integration and its Committee on Rural Health.

During his illustrious career, Dr. Yecies was a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology,  the American College of Allergy and the American College of Chest Physicians; and a Member of the Joint Council on Allergy.

He published a number of scientific research papers throughout his career and served in the United States Public Health Service with the rank of surgeon (Lt. Commander) with service at the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bethesda Naval Hospital and the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital.

Dr. Yecies’ interest in medicine started in his youth with the gift of a microscope and in college, he won a prized fellowship to study under Dr. Gregory Pincus, one of the three fathers of the birth-control pill.

Dr. Yecies received both his MD and BA degrees with honors from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.  He interned at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas and completed his residency at Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Mo., in allergy, rheumatology and immunology.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Susan, Watertown; four children, Michael Yecies, New York City, Aaron Yecies (Carrie), Glenville, Kathryn Hartz (Steven), Watertown, and Pamela Pierie (James), Syracuse; six grandchildren, Joshua, Julianna, MacKenzie, Katie, Emma and Isabella; a sister, Susan M. Yecies, New York City; and an aunt, Janice Polonsky, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at Degel Israel Synagogue with burial to follow in Degel Israel Cemetery. 

Arrangements are with the Cleveland Funeral Home.

Contributions can be sent to Hospice of Jefferson County, NY or  to Degel  Israel  Synagogue, Watertown, NY, where Dr. Yecies formerly  served as a past president.