Richard W. Tureck, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr. Richard W. Tureck, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the School of Medicine, died October 28, while vacationing abroad with family. He was 60 years old.

Dr. Tureck joined the Penn Medicine department of obstetrics and gynecology as a fellow in 1979 and spent his entire career at Penn, rising to the rank of professor. “Dr. Tureck was the first person to direct our in-vitro fertilization (IVF) program—one of the first in the country,” said Dr. Christos Coutifaris, chief of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Penn. “He did this with enthusiasm, dedication and passion and always put ‘patients first.’ When, many years later, I became involved with the administration of the program, I experienced first hand how much all the patients appreciated his care and his caring. They absolutely loved him. This says a lot about the lives he touched and the happiness he generated.”

Dr. Tureck received his undergraduate degree from Manhattan College and his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1975. After completing his internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The Roosevelt Hospital, the Teaching Hospital of Columbia University Medical College in 1979, he came to Penn as a fellow in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Dr. Tureck served as director of Penn’s IVF and Embryo Transfer Program from 1982 to 1994, when he became a full professor.

“Dr. Tureck was devoted to his patients and dedicated to teaching our fellows, residents, and medical students,” said Dr. Deborah Driscoll, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn. He served as a faculty preceptor and a career counselor since 1986. Dr. Tureck was the director of reproductive surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from 1994 to 2006.

“The first IVF pregnancy in the tri-state area—which resulted in the successful birth of a baby girl—was done under Dr. Tureck’s leadership,” said Dr. Steven Sondheimer, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn. “That baby girl has grown into healthy adult woman who is now the mother of a newborn child, conceived without the need of infertility treatment. Dr. Tureck was a pioneer in the field of infertility who searched for ways to improve treatment. He traveled to England to learn ultrasound egg retrieval and introduced it to this region. Before this, egg retrieval required an abdominal incision,” added Dr. Sondheimer.

Dr. Tureck was a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the American Society of Reproductive Medicine; the American Society for Gynecologic Laparoscopists; the Society of Reproductive Surgeons; and The American Fertility Society.

Dr. Tureck is survived by his wife, Pamela and two sons, Richard and Brett, daughter-in-law and grandson. “On a more personal note,” added Dr. Coutifaris, “I—along with the help of Richard’s youngest son, Brett—played a role in introducing him to live opera performances. His favorite was Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro.’ I won’t ever be able to listen to or see a performance of this opera again without thinking of Richard. He will be greatly missed, both professional and personally.”