Prominent educator, physician and member of a family that can claim six generations of leadership at Baldwin Wallace University, Dr. Thomas A. Riemenschneider, died on April 7, 2014 following a brief illness. He was 77.

Born in Berea, Ohio, September 3, 1936, the son of the late Dr. Edwin A. Riemenschneider and Mary Beth Tristram Riemenschneider, he was graduated from Western Reserve Academy in 1953 where he was the first baseman on the baseball team and played soccer. He then enrolled at Baldwin Wallace, the school where his great-grandfather, Karl Riemenschneider taught and later served as president
In 1899, Dr. Albert Riemenschneider, son of Karl, founded the Conservatory of Music. In 1932, Albert and his wife, Selma Marting Riemenschneider, established the nation’s first collegiate Bach Festival.

As a student at Baldwin Wallace, Dr. Riemenschneider was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and the varsity baseball team, and he served as president of the student body. It was in this capacity that he was involved in establishing the school’s radio station, WBWC-FM. He was also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Men’s Honorary Fraternity and received the Fred Crossman Leadership Award in 1957. He was a lifelong supporter of the Conservatory of Music and the Bach Festival. He received the college’s Alumni Merit Award in 1987.

He attended the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and received his medical degree in 1964. In 1970, he earned a Master of Science Degree from the UCLA Medical Center and in 1985, to further his understanding of the business side of medicine, he obtained an MBA from Baldwin Wallace.

A 30-year practicing physician in four different states at eleven different hospitals, Dr. Riemenschneider was Board Certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology and Medical Management. Over the course of his career, he held eighteen different teaching positions within academic medical centers and schools of medicine, where he received many awards for teaching excellence.

A veteran of the United States Air Force, he served his country as the Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at the USAF Medical Center, Scott AFB, IL from 1970 to 1972.

From 1986 to 1990, Dr. Riemenschneider held the position of Associate Dean at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine along with serving as director of the Area Health Education Center at CWRU.

In addition, he also served from 1990 to 1993 as Chief Operating officer of the Western New York Health Sciences Consortium, an early model of an integrated healthcare delivery system, and as Vice Provost for Health Sciences and Hospitals for the SUNY Central Administration.

In 1996, he was the founding Director of the Healthcare EMBA program at Baldwin Wallace while functioning as the Director of Graduate Business Programs and a professor of management.

Throughout his career, he held a number of other positions in the fields of both medicine and education. Most recently, from 2009 to the present, he served as the Chief Medical Officer of COMS (Clinical Outcomes Management Systems), a company he helped found. He also served as President and Chief Medical Officer of STA Healthcare Inc., a medical consulting firm.

A well respected author, Dr. Riemenschneider wrote and published more than 300 scientific articles, chapters, and books. He was co-editor of the 5th edition of the standard textbook in its field, Moss and Adams Heart Disease in Infants, Children and Adolescents.

He was a frequent presenter and teacher of healthcare reform, managed care, organizational issues in healthcare, physician leadership, healthcare management, integrated healthcare delivery systems and clinical quality improvement throughout the nation.

He is survived by his wife, the former Judy Boddy, with whom he celebrated his Golden Wedding anniversary in 2013. They had three children, who also survive: daughters Mrs. Karen (Brian) Schindler of Olmsted Falls and Laura Hancock of Charlotte, NC, along with a son, James J. and his wife, Anna, of Aurora.

He will also be missed by his six grandchildren: Mark and Mauren Schindler, Caroline and Thomas Hancock, and J.T. and Nina Riemenschneider.

Also surviving is his brother, Attorney John K. Riemenschneider and his wife, Nancy, of Akron.

A sister, Susan Riemenschneider preceded him in death in 2002.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Federated Church in Chagrin Falls on April 26 at ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬10:30 a.m., with Dr. Riemenschneider’s pastor, Rev. Hamilton Throckmorton, officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Federated Church, 76 Bell St, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022; or to the Riemenschneider Bach Institute, c/o Baldwin Wallace University, 275 Eastland Rd., Berea, Ohio 44017; or to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN), 1500 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

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