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Dr. Robert Edward Cilley, 67, of Hershey, died on Jan. 30, 2022, according to his obituary.
He had been battling pancreatic cancer since Dec. 2020, according to multiple social media posts and his obituary.
Dr. Cilley was the medical director of the Pediatric Trauma Program and chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Penn State Hershey Medical Center for more than 20 years, according to the hospital.
He previously was a fellow at the University of Michigan Pediatric Surgery Section, where he gave his name to the lifesaving Cilley Test, which helps doctors know when to take a patient off of a veno-venous ECMO, a device which supports lung function primarily.
In addition to his work at hospitals, he served as board director for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA for the last five years, according to the organization's Facebook.
He "took great pleasure in singing hymns, walking Lake Michigan beaches, running and gardening, and spending time with family and friends," as stated in his obituary.
He was known as a "transcendent," who rejected materialism, "believing in the rational philosophical coherence that God exists and is revealed to us in word and works," as written in his obituary.
He was predeceased by his parents, Jonathan H. Cilley (d. 2005) and Dorothy Nicholas Cilley (d. 2010), as stated in his obituary.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years Diane Englehart Cilley, daughter Elizabeth Cilley Southerlan (Luke) and son Robert J. Cilley (Marissa), his granddaughter Sophia Grace Southerlan, his brother Jonathan Cilley Jr. (Lori) and sister Althea C. Scott (James), according to his obituary.
The community-- including professional associations-- have been sharing about their loss on social media.
You can read more tributes to him from the patients and families he directly impacted here.
The funeral and burial service will be held privately for the family, but you can view the funeral service virtually Friday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. here.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA, where the funds "will be used to honor Robert's memory." You can donate directly at here.
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