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February 13, 2012

Zeck Lieberman

Zeck Lieberman was born on June 7, 1928, in Floresville, Texas, a small town about 30 miles from San Antonio, where he was the youngest of four children. He remembered a happy small-town childhood in a friendly community, where he could walk to school, the movies, and downtown. His father had emigrated alone at age 14 from the Russia and Poland region, later joining the army and settling in Floresville, where he ran a grocery and dry goods store. His mother, born in New York and orphaned young, came south to visit her sister and met his father there. When Lieberman was about six or seven, the family moved to San Antonio.

Despite the small-town setting, the Liebermans were deeply involved in Jewish life, driving more than 30 miles to San Antonio every Sunday for Sunday school and temple, where his parents were active and his mother served as sisterhood president. Lieberman entered the University of Texas around age 15 or 16, then attended Tulane Medical School, graduating at age 21 without a college degree, as was possible at the time. He trained in surgery, including at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, and discovered his love for surgery during a summer course at Massachusetts General Hospital. He later served in the military during the Korean War era.

It was at a wedding in Wichita Falls that Lieberman met Marilyn, a Dallas native, and the two married. They came to Dallas in 1957, where he practiced general surgery with an emphasis on malignancy at Baylor Hospital, describing it as a welcoming environment. He credited mentors including Dr. Ochsner, Dr. Carl Moyer, Dr. Sparkman, and Dr. Duckett. The Liebermans belonged to Temple Emanu-El and valued its rabbinic leadership. They raised three children, Steve, Susan, and Randy, and had nine grandchildren. Lieberman remained close to lifelong Dallas friends and prized regular exercise, expressing deep gratitude for the life Dallas gave his family.

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