Richard Creech, MD’65, a former faculty member in clinical medicine in Penn’s School of Medicine, died on July 1. He was 83.

Dr. Creech received a bachelor’s degree in 1961 from Johns Hopkins University, then attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1965. He would later return to Penn to complete a medical oncology fellowship. After finishing his medical training at Johns Hopkins University and the National Cancer Institute, he began working for Philadelphia’s American Oncologic Hospital in 1972, where he was one of four medical oncologists. Dr. Creech remained at this institution as an adjunct associate professor of medicine after it expanded and was renamed the Fox Chase Cancer Center. While there, he cared for breast cancer patients, served as principal investigator of the eastern cooperative oncology group clinical trials organization at Fox Chase, and taught medical students, residents, and fellows from Penn and Temple University.

Dr. Creech served as an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Penn’s School of Medicine from 1973 to 1979, then as an adjunct assistant professor from 1979 to 1982. He also served as chief of medical oncology on the Penn service at the Philadelphia General Hospital. His biggest contribution to the Philadelphia-area medical field was at Temple University, where he spent 22 years as chairman of medicine at Temple University Hospital’s Jeanes campus (1992 to 2014), where he practiced hematology and medical oncology. He also served as the division chief of medical oncology at Temple and as an adjunct professor of medicine at the Temple University School of Medicine.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Charlotte (nee Goetz); his daughter, Susan (Brian) Passman and their daughters, Chloe and Grace; his daughter, Nancy Cullum and her daughters, Kaitlyn and Alexa; and his sister, Joan Kraft. A private memorial service was held on July 15.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Dr. Creech can be made to: Creative Beginnings, 121 Huntingdon Pike, Suite 1, Rockledge, PA 19046; American Association for Cancer Research, c/o Margaret Foti, 615 Chestnut St., 17th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106; American Cancer Society, 1818 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19103; or Anna T. Jeanes Foundation, 7600 Central Ave., Philadelphia, PA 10111.