Dr. George F. Speace was an outstanding physician and surgeon, highly respected by his patients and peers. George wove a wonderful tapestry of service that extended far beyond the work he did in emergency rooms and operating suites. He was deeply involved with providing and improving public health through the Kirby Health Center. He was an active supporter of anything that improved the culture of NEPA through his work and generosity at the area’s Philharmonic Orchestra and the FM Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, among others.An Emergency Room nurse who often assisted him said Dr. Speace was easy going and a pleasure to work with, but he was very demanding when it came to set up and instrumentation. With those instruments of his trade, his compassion, skill and abiding generosity George Speace wove a beautiful and enduring tapestry of care for all northeastern Pennsylvanians.
George F. Speace, MD, FACS Pre-Med/Nursing Scholarship was established in 2020 at The Luzerne Foundation by the family, colleagues, and friends of George F. Speace, MD, FACS. The Fund shall honor his memory and preserve his spirit of giving to others and passion for the science and practice of healthcare.
The Award(s) will be made to an ascending junior medical science or nursing student at Misericordia University and will be limited to undergraduates. The George F. Speace, MD, FACS Pre-Med/Nursing Scholarship will be awarded to a full-time student(s) in good standing with a B grade point average or higher, and the student(s) must have demonstrated financial need. The award shall be renewable annually and will follow the student(s) to graduation, assuming satisfactory undergraduate academic performance.
Contributions to the Fund in in George’s honor and memory are encouraged and gratefully accepted.
Contributions may be made to:
George F. Speace, MD, FACS Pre-Med/Nursing Scholarship Of The Luzerne Foundation
34 South River Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
34 South River Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
For gifts of stocks, please call 570.822.2065.
Wynder Named 2021 George F. Speace, MD, FACS Pre-Med/Nursing Scholarship Recipient
Dallas, PA – Jordyn Wynder, Pittston, Pa, a junior nursing student at Misericordia University, has been named the 2021 recipient of The George F. Speace, MD, FACS Pre-Med/Nursing Scholarship. Wynder was presented a $500 scholarship.
The George F. Speace Scholarship Fund of The Luzerne Foundation, established in 2020 by the family, colleagues and friends, of Dr. George F. Speace, honors Dr. Speace’s memory, and preserves his spirit of giving to others as well as his passion for the science and practice of healthcare. Dr. Speace was a highly respected member of the medical community and mentored medical students at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, Pa. He practiced in several Luzerne and Lackawanna county hospitals and specialized in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeries.
After graduating from Penn State University and Jefferson Medical College, Dr. Speace completed an internship and surgical residency at Jefferson and a plastic surgery fellowship at Long Island Plastic Surgery Center and Stonybrook University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York. Speace was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and was a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. In 1979, he joined Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, Ltd., in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Along with other medical professionals, Dr. Speace provided care at the cleft palate clinic in Wilkes-Barre. He served as board chairman of the Kirby Health Center in Wilkes-Barre, past president of the medical staff of Nesbitt Memorial Hospital and past president of the Philharmonic Orchestra of NEPA.
The scholarship in his name will be awarded annually to ascending junior medical science or nursing students at Misericordia University and is limited to undergraduates. Award recipients must be in good academic standing with a grade point average of a B or higher. The award shall be renewable annually and will follow the student(s) to graduation, assuming satisfactory undergraduate academic performance.
