Hugh Francis Lena Jr. ’43

Hugh Francis Lena Jr. ’43 died June 28 at his home in Niantic, Connecticut. At Dartmouth he was a premed major, a member of Kappa Kappa Kappa and Alpha Kappa Kappa, participated in gymnastics and was active with the Friends of Aquinas House. He stayed on in Hanover after graduation to attend Dartmouth’s two-year Medical School, then went on to receive his medical degree from Cornell Medical School in 1945. After completing his surgical residency at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Hugh joined the U.S. Air Force’s medical division, stationed in Denver. While there he met and married Edith Jeanne Bennett (always called Jeanne) in 1947. He was discharged as a captain in 1948. Hugh spent most of his medical career as an attending surgeon at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, Connecticut. He specialized in general surgery with an emphasis on abdominal, hand and pediatric surgery. He was as member of the editorial board of the Connecticut State Medical Journal, president of the New London County Medical Association and received a special papal award from Pope Paul VI in 1965. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and photography. Hugh made hunting trips to Africa, Newfoundland, British Columbia, the Yukon Territory and Scotland. Ever loyal to Dartmouth, Hugh was a class agent, on the class executive committee and was a Dartmouth club president. Jeanne died in 1999. Hugh is survived by four daughters, two sons and 10 grandchildren. His son Peter graduated from Dartmouth in 1979.