Fascinated by the past, Dr. Kurt Manrodt helped shape the future of health care in Pequannock Township.
Manrodt was a key player in the creation of Chilton Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1954. Kurt raised funds and wrote the original incorporation papers for the hospital, named for his cousin, Forrest S. Chilton III, who died serving in World War II.
In 1963, Kurt and four others founded the Pequannock Valley Mental Health Center to provide professional treatment in the community. “They saw a lot of people struggling with mental health problems, and they wanted to do something about it,” said Kurt’s cousin, Suzanne Chilton Hellyer. The nonprofit became NewBridge Services in 1998.
“I think Kurt would be thrilled with the success and growth of NewBridge’s programs,” Hellyer said. “The fact that it has helped thousands of people a year for 60 years is a real honor to those five folks who saw a need and acted on it,” she said. “We will be eternally grateful to them.”
History Buff
Hellyer said her cousin was a history buff, noting the family has ancestors who fought in the Civil War.
Kurt and his wife, Virginia, raised their daughter in Pompton Plains, where he shared office space with his uncle, Dr. Forrest S. Chilton II, Hellyer’s father. “Kurt was what we call today `an old fashioned doctor,’ ” Hellyer said. “He saw patients in his office, performed minor surgeries, delivered babies, and even made house calls,” she said. Five of Hellyer’s seven children were among the thousands of babies Kurt delivered over his career.
Athlete and WWII Veteran
Kurt was a standout athlete in high school and attended Bucknell University in Pennsylvania on a football scholarship. In 1939, he played in an all-star college game against the Philadelphia Eagles. His alma mater honored him in 1968, and in 1983 he was inducted into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1943, Kurt joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps, serving as a captain in France during World War II, Hellyer said. During his medical career, he headed both the medical and pediatric departments at Chilton Memorial Hospital (now Chilton Medical Center) and served 30 years as a trustee. In 1986, a pediatric wing of the hospital was named in Kurt’s honor.
Kurt was active in The First Reformed Church of Pompton Plains, and served as physician to the local high school and its football team. He was named Citizen of the Year by the American Legion Post 242 in 1975, and Pequannock Township officials honored him for his civic service six years later.
Kurt died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 1988 at age 71. His remains are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
