William Henry Erb, Jr., former surgeon at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and PSOM instructor, died July 24 of pneumonia. He was 78.

Dr. Erb, Jr. was inspired by his father, a physician who had obtained his medical degree from Penn, went on serve as head of Penn Serves at Philadelphia General Hospital and was the first chief of surgery at Riddle. Dr. Erb, Jr. graduated from Haverford College with a BA in history in 1962, and then he earned his medical degree from Penn in 1966. He was a resident at Penn Presbyterian, though that term was interrupted by a stint spent in the US Navy during the Vietnam War.

In 1967, Dr. Erb, Jr. joined the Penn faculty as an assistant instructor of medical surgery. He moved up to full instructor in 1973 and later became a clinical associate, which he remained until 1998. He supported Penn’s William H. Erb Scholarship Fund. Outside of Penn, Dr. Erb, Jr. became president of Taylor Hospital’s medical staff in 1987 and vice chairman of its surgery department in 1990.

Dr. Erb Jr. is survived by his wife, Ursula; daughters, Heidi Anderson, Kristin Gusick, and Margit; two sisters; and four grandchildren.