Lewisburg - Victor G. Vogel, MD, 74, passed peacefully surrounded by family, pastor and caregiver at his home in Lewisburg, Pa., on April 12, 2026.

He was born March 14, 1952, to Victor and Margaret (Smith) Vogel in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. As the son of a pastor in the United Church of Christ, he moved frequently during his childhood and spent time in several towns in Pennsylvania including Bath, Hellam, York, Meyersdale, and Norristown.

He graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Natural Science, completed his MD at Temple University School of Medicine and Masters of Health Science in Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University.

He served as an intern and resident in internal medicine at Baltimore City Hospital. He was a commissioned officer with the United State Public Health Service for two years in Summersville, W.Va., before returning to Johns Hopkins as a fellow in medical oncology and as a fellow in clinical epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

He served as a medical oncologist at several prestigious institutions including MD Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Pittsburgh, the American Cancer Society, and Geisinger Health Systems from which he retired in 2022.

Victor was passionate about teaching, serving first as Assistant and later Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, training fellows in medical oncology. He continued teaching medical students and fellows at Geisinger Health Systems until he retired,

He was the recipient of numerous awards including the Achievement Medal from the US Public Health Service, Career Development Award from the American Cancer Society, the Impact Award from National Consortium of Breast Centers, and Johns Hopkins Alumni Achievement Award. He was honored as a Fellow in the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He was a member of numerous boards and committees and was a member of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board for the Women's Health Initiative of the National Institutes of Health. He served as the national protocol chairman of the National Cancer Institute STAR Trial (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene).

He had over two hundred publications in medical literature and numerous articles in aviation literature. He edited the book "Management of Patients at High Risk for Breast Cancer and Handbook of Breast Cancer Risk Assessment: Evidence-Based Treatment Guidelines for Evaluation, Prevention, Counseling, and Treatment." He wrote the books "Doctor, What If It Were Your Mother?" and "A Pilot's Guide to Risk and Judgement."

His second passion was aviation. He obtained his FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating, became an FAA Advanced Ground Instructor and FAA Certified Flight Instructor. He was a member of Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association, Flying Physicians

Association, and board member of National Association of Flight Instructors. Victor was the aerospace educator of the Civil Air Patrol squadron in Lock Haven. He was the founding member of the nonprofit organization, Susquehanna STEM to the Skies based at Penn Valley airport in Selinsgrove, teaching many students about careers in aviation as well as scientific aspects of flying.

He believed in trusting God and in the resurrection, sharing his faith in Christ, and living his life by example. He taught Sunday School, shared a men's Bible study, and was an active member of First Presbyterian Church Lewisburg.

Victor is survived by his loving wife of almost 49 years Saralyn "Sally" (Schaffner) Vogel; daughter Heather Vogel Williams and husband, Stephen, and their children Tabitha and Tyson of Colorado Springs; son Christiaan and wife, Jessica (Swartz), and their children Lainette, Christiaan II, Viviaan, Maverick, Finnegan, and "MJ" (Margaret June) of Elizabethtown, Pa.; sister, Louise of Washington, D.C.; brother Timothy (wife Brenda) of Carlisle and nephew Donovan of Philadelphia.

Celebration of Life Service will be Saturday, May 23, at 11 a.m., First Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to https://alsmidatlantic.org/, Susquehanna STEM to the Skies at 100 Airport Road, Selinsgrove, Pa., 17870, or First Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg, 18 Market St., Lewisburg, 17837.