In memoriam
Ken Zwergel, MD, passed away on July 17, following a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 58 years old. The beloved pediatrician practiced with Queen City Physicians for more than 21 years. In 2016, he was a finalist for the Aubrey Rose Foundation’s Doctor of the Year Award.
Zwergel knew from an early age that he wanted to be a pediatrician. “When I was 13 years old, I volunteered for a program helping kids with handicaps,” he said. “It inspired me to make helping kids my life’s work. I love watching them grow from totally helpless individuals into independent members of society.”
Helping others was a major theme throughout Zwergel’s life. According to colleague Libbey Spiess, MD, who went through residency with him at Cincinnati Children’s and recruited him to Queen City Physicians, Zwergel was a trusted, kind, caring friend and a great team player.
“Ken liked to repair things around the office. If another doctor was running late, he would always pitch in and see additional patients. Sometimes he helped without anyone knowing about it,” said Spiess. “The fact that he was such a giving person made his illness even more difficult to accept.”
Zwergel was a devoted husband to his wife, Beth, and their three children, Kristopher, Kelsey and Arynn, and they were his bedrock. Following his diagnosis, they worked together to raise money for ALS research by assembling the largest team ever for the Walk to Defeat ALS last September.
Zwergel will be remembered by patients, families and colleagues for his kindness and humility, his genuine interest in others and his warm sense of humor.
Clifford J. Steinle, DDS, died on August 4, at the age of 84. Steinle was a pediatric dentist who focused on caring for patients with special needs. Originally from Chicago, he attended Loyola University for his undergraduate degree, then went to Northwestern University for his pediatric dental training. He joined Cincinnati Children’s in 1964.
Said Jim Steiner, DDS, former director of Dentistry, “Cliff had a real soft spot in his heart for children with special needs, and he really knew how to take care of them. He was very good at working with the other hospital services so the patients would be ready when they came in for dental treatment. In fact, he was a member of the Hematology/Oncology team and was very heavily involved with the kids who had leukemia and other blood cancers. Part of his legacy was developing a program especially for them and the oral issues they experienced as side effects of chemotherapy. In the 30-plus years he was at Cincinnati Children’s, he trained about 150 residents, and they received the benefit of his expertise.”
Steinle is survived by his wife, Margaret, his three children—Bridget, Clifford and Paula, and his grandchildren.
Paul Tagher, MD, founder of Pediatrics of Florence, passed away surrounded by family on July 16, following a long illness. Born on March 30, 1934, in Egypt, Tagher earned his MD from Cairo University in 1960 and completed his residency at Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.
Tagher was committed to providing the best care for his patients, treating them as if they were his own. Said his son, Rob Tagher, MD, who followed him into pediatric practice, “He changed so many people’s lives with his skills, his tremendous work ethic, his humor and his example. But he did all this without complaining or feeling more important than anyone else. It’s just part of who he was.”
Patients and families remembered him for his tenderness, compassion and his willingness to go out of his way to serve their needs.
When he wasn’t seeing patients, Tagher loved spending time with his family, gardening, hiking and swimming.
He is survived by his wife, Ann Tagher; three sons—Paul, Marc and Robert; two daughters—Mimi Tagher and Michele Ciolino; step-daughters, Heather Struck and Lisa Warner; his first wife Mary Rita Jordan and 12 grandchildren.
Steinle was in charge of the Schell Clinic, which was housed in the garage of a house on the corner of Elland Ave. and Erkenbrecher.
