Lolly Lederberg Dies at 93

Lolly Lederberg, professionally known as Dr. Yvette Brown, was 93 years old when she died on July 1 in Atlanta, Ga. She was born on Oct. 4, 1925, in New York City to Dorothy Weltz and Larry Brown. She attended Hunter College High School, then New York University where she graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Biology and Chemistry in 1945. She earned her M.D. from NYU’s College of Medicine in 1949, one of only 20 women in her class. She met Philip Lederberg during her second year of medical school and married him nine months later on June 29, 1947. She initially did her residency in pediatrics at Bellevue Hospital and then trained in allergy with her cousin Frederick Brown.

Lolly, Philip and their two children, Amy and Michael, lived in Oyster Bay on Long Island. Dr. Brown, as she was known professionally, maintained private practice in Glen Cove from 1956-1972, volunteered her time at a weekly allergy clinic at Bellevue Hospital and served as chief at the Allergy Clinic of Glen Cove Community Hospital.

Lolly and Philip were active in the local Power Squadron and spent their weekends and holidays aboard their cabin cruiser Sea Palm (named for Philip, Amy, Lolly and Michael). The four of them cruised as far north as Lake Champlain and south on the Inland Coastal Waterway to Maryland.

In 1972, when she was 47, Lolly and Philip left their New York life and moved to St. Thomas, V.I. Lolly was chief at four V.I. Public Health Clinics, from 1973 to 1979. She was elected a Fellow of The American Academy of Allergy in 1976. She saw patients in her private practice from 1973-1986. In the more relaxed life of St. Thomas, Lolly and Philip had time to socialize with friends and continued to enjoy their cabin cruiser, taking frequent trips to St. John and the British Virgin Islands. Lolly was an avid snorkeler and learned to scuba dive. They also discovered they loved traveling, taking trips to Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, Yugoslavia, Philippines and Greece, to name just a few. They were active in the Danish West Indian Society and delighted in growing bougainvillea. Philip died in 1986 while on a trip with Lolly to Hong Kong.

Lolly moved to Atlanta, Ga., in 1990 to be with her daughter and grandchildren. In addition to spending time with her family, she had three passions: birdwatching, traveling and working for a healthy planet. She helped guide birding trips with her good friend Joe Greenberg and was active in the Atlanta Audubon Society, serving as its president from 1997-1999. Her travels included trips to Europe, the Galapagos, Alaska, Panama and Australia. She volunteered at the Nature Conservancy’s Atlanta office and at Vote Smart.

In 2012, her college sweetheart, Jerry Jacobson, contacted her and they fell in love again and were married when she was 88 and he was 90. They spent time in Charleston, S.C., and Ogdensburg, N.Y., before settling in Atlanta. They loved dining out, attending the symphony, and celebrating weddings, birthdays and anniversaries with their families. Jerry died in October, 2018.

Lolly is survived by her son, Michael Lederberg and daughter-in-law, Linda Barocas of Boynton Beach, Fla.; daughter, Amy Lederberg and son-in-law, Julian Bene of Atlanta; granddaughter, Emma Bene and husband Najee Johnson; grandson, Philip Bene and wife Andrea Ness; and great-grandson, Miles Bene Johnson, all of Atlanta.