Dr. Derwood L. Stetson

Dr. Derwood Lynn Stetson went to be with our Lord on January 29, 2026.

Dr. Stetson was born in Morrisville, VT on a small remote farm on October 28th, 1930. He was the youngest of six children and only boy born to Roy Alton Stetson and Doris Minnie Kneeland Stetson. Derwood learned the value of hard work from his parents. His father, Roy, was a forester pulling logs in the summer and in the winter would use his team of horses to roll local roads to pack the snow to make them passable. His mother would sell produce grown on the farm and trade eggs and butter for groceries at the local store. While he wasn’t a great student at the time, Derwood excelled at athletics playing many sports and earning a Letter in basketball as a freshman point guard at the local high school, Peoples Academy.

Like many young men of the era, Derwood joined the Navy to see the world upon graduation from high school. After his honorable discharge in 1953, he moved to Hartford CT, where he met his wife to be, Lois Ann Frank of Willimantic, CT. Derwood and Lois were married and they moved to Springfield, MA where Derwood attended Springfield College on the GI Bill majoring in Physical Education. It was in Springfield where Derwood and Lois had their son, Jeffrey. After graduating from Springfield College, Derwood attended the University of Vermont where he obtained his medical degree. During his time at UVM, Derwood had the opportunity to travel around VT in a VW bus giving polio vaccines. Upon graduation from UVM in 1963, the young couple moved to Pennsylvania where Dr. Stetson did his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Harrisburg General Hospital, completing those requirements in 1965. Around this time, Dr. John Hargleroad of Shippensburg, PA was leaving his medical practice to take a job with Penn State University. A mutual friend introduced the two and Dr. Stetson took over Dr. Hargleroad’s one man practice out of his home on Prince Street in Shippensburg. Dr. Stetson is credited with bringing “CPR, a new life-saving technique” to Shippensburg training local fire and ambulance personnel. Later Dr. Stetson joined with Drs. Lynn Adams and Ralph Merchant to form a group practice, the Shippensburg Medical Clinic. The Chambersburg Hospital bought the practice in 1996. Dr. Stetson loved the Shippensburg community and all the patients he cared for before retiring in 1998. But he didn’t stay retired for long going back to work at South Mountain Restoration Center before officially retiring in 2004.

Dr. Stetson was an avid golfer, licensed pilot, alpine skier, Penn State football fan, and enjoyed many activities out-of-doors. Despite being a busy physician Derwood always made time for fun-filled times with his family and friends.

Derwood is preceded in death by Lois in 2005. The couple had one son, Jeffrey T (Marlene) of Boalsburg, PA, two grandchildren, Jason R. (Matthew), and Jessica L. Stetson, and a great grandson, Fox R. Stetson. Family was very important to Derwood and he stayed in close touch with his many nieces and nephews over the years.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc., Shippensburg. Viewing and burial will be private. Derwood will be privately laid to rest alongside his wife at Spring Hill Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held at a future date and time. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor should be made to the Juniper Village Wellspring Employee Fund, 610 W. Whitehall Road, State College, PA 16801.