MERIDEN, NH — Dr. Douglas Cedeno, beloved physician and resident of Meriden, passed away on Sunday, June 9 at the age of 69.
Dr. Cedeno had finished his studies at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and was completing a residency in New York’s Metropolitan Hospital when he saw a notice advertising a Fellowship at Dartmouth College’s Mary Hitchcock Hospital. Upon visiting he fell in love with the area and relocated his young family, eventually settling in a log home on a dead end road in Meriden. After stints at Cheshire and Springfield Hospitals, Dr. Cedeno found his place and cemented his role in the Upper Valley founding and running the Immediate Care Center at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon.
For over thirty years Dr. Cedeno stitched wounds, stabilized emergencies, and saved lives at APD’s Immediate Care Center. In between his shifts at APD he ran disaster drills, directed APD’s Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center, trained EMTs, read EKGs, worked in Dartmouth’s Emergency Department, and supervised Dartmouth residents. He loved teaching and practicing medicine, and all who worked with him or were healed by him will remember the extensive knowledge he shared with his colleagues and compassion with which he treated his patients.
Outside of work Dr. Cedeno was Doug to his family and friends, all of whom will remember that he was inviting them to partake in one adventure or another. He was an avid skier and patrolled at Whaleback for many years – skiing would become a beloved tradition with his children and grandchildren. He loved cycling as well and began mountain biking long before it was popular, spending long hours on muddy, mosquito-y adventures through the woods. When it was too buggy he rode the quieter roads of Meriden and Plainfield. He kayaked and hiked too, and was always ready for a trip up Mount Cardigan or along the Connecticut River. He was also a martial artist, practicing and teaching both T’ai Chi and karate. APD staff would often find him practicing T’ai Chi in the ambulance entrance and joked that he was the department’s security guard. Doug also spent many hours volunteering his time, coaching various teams as his children grew up, patching up their teammates’ minor on-field injuries, offering medical exams for Plainfield School students, and providing many, many house calls for his extended Meriden family.
Even with all of these interests and responsibilities, Doug’s central priority was always his family. He was a loving husband, an adoring grandfather, a wonderful father, and a devoted son. He worked tirelessly to support his family in every way possible, making sure each of us was healthy, hard working, and able to achieve our full potential.
On November 9 Doug diagnosed himself with pancreatic cancer, and additional testing confirmed his self diagnosis. After a very difficult journey Doug and his illness made peace with one another. His last weeks were filled with loving friends and family, and he passed feeling the tremendous love of the community around him.
Doug is survived by his wife of forty-six years, Adrienne; his children, Dorie and Jeff; his children-in-law, Dan and Emilia; his grandchildren, Sophia, Leo, and Willem; and his father Adrian. He was predeceased by his sister Arleen and mother Blanca.
He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Doug’s family will host a memorial celebration of his life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, his family kindly requests donations to the Good Neighbor Clinic in White River Junction.