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Dr. Richard Thomas Kramer
Litchfield
Dr. Richard Thomas Kramer died on December 17, 2015 at the age of 85. He was the husband of Mary Eleanor Kramer, and the son of the late Joseph Kramer and Elisabeth Kossler.

Dr Kramer was born on January 20, 1930 in Tarentum, PA, and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated magna cum laude from University of Detroit in 1952, and received his M.D. from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1956.
Continuing his medical education, he interned at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood, Los Angeles (1956-57), held residency at The Institute of Living in Hartford, CT (1957-59), and became a fellow at The Austin Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA (1959-60).

During college years, he held military service with the US Marine Reserves in Detroit MI, (1948-1950). Later, as a doctor, he served as Captain in the US Air Force at Sheppard AFB, Texas, where he was Co-Chief of the base hospital's psychiatric division (1960-62). It was the largest psychiatric unit in the Air Force at the time, serving troops returning from active duty abroad. During this time he also consulted at the nearby Wichita Falls State Hospital.

Following that, Dr Kramer and his young family moved to Litchfield County, where he began practicing psychiatry. He opened a private practice in Torrington CT, was appointed as a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Yale University, New Haven (1963-66), and worked at the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in both medical and administrative roles.
In 1967, he was instrumental in founding the hospital’s first Inpatient Unit to serve people across Northwestern CT. Prior to that, people had to travel up to 40 miles to be treated for mental illness in a hospital setting.

Complementing his private practice and hospital work, Dr Kramer also served as a psychiatric consultant to the Connecticut Junior Republic, and to the McCall Center for Behavioural Health.

Throughout his career, Dr Kramer served on the Boards of numerous regional and state medical and civic organizations. He was dedicated to his psychiatric practice, helping many individuals and families in Litchfield county, and taking particular interest in working towards the destigmatization of mental illness.

Dr Kramer retired in 2000 and was proudly elected to the American Psychiatric Association for his contributions to the field of Psychiatry.

Outside of his professional life, Dr Kramer was a longstanding resident on East Chestnut Hill Road in Litchfield, where he took great pride in landscaping, gardening, forestry and woodland protection, maintaining the family home, and raising three daughters with his wife Eleanor. He was also an avid sportsman who enjoyed many years of skiing, swimming, tennis and golf with family and a wide range of friends.

Dr Kramer was parishioner of St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Litchfield, and in later years was member of Sanctum Club of Litchfield, a men's social dinner club.

He is survived by his wife Mary Eleanor Kramer, of Mystic CT; daughter Lauren K. Kapell, son-in-law Robert Kapell, and granddaughter Alexandra Kapell, of Mystic CT; daughter Kristin T. Kramer and partner Lynne Wilson, of Glasgow, Scotland, UK; and daughter Lisa M. Kramer, son-in-law Emil Munkres, and grandchildren Ivan and Saffron Munkres, of El Sobrante, CA. Richard was predeceased by six brothers and sisters; Helen, Joseph, Herman, Marie, Martha and Walter.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Anthony of Padua Church, 49 South Street, Litchfield, CT 06579.

A memorial Service will be held on January 9, 2016 at 10:30am at St. Anthony’s Church, 49 South Street, Litchfield, CT 06759. Burial will follow in St. Anthony Cemetery, Litchfield.

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