He was born April 9,1926, in Vienna, Austria, the youngest of four children. His father, Adolf Winkelbauer, was professor of surgery at the University of Vienna. His mother, Edina Countess Clam-Gallas, was of noble lineage and had forestry and agricultural estates in the Sudetenland, now the northern Czech Republic. It was during the summers spent on his mother’s land that Rudy developed his deep and enduring love of nature and wildlife. Even as a young boy he was a gifted sportsman, and often stayed up through the night, sitting in a high stand, waiting for the arrival of game in the moonlight.
Rudy had considerable music talent. He started his musical training on the violin, and did an audition for the Vienna Philharmonic as a young boy. Later he taught himself how to play the piano and cello, and enjoyed playing in a string quartet with friends. Music was woven firmly into his life, and even toward the end he played the piano every evening.
Despite the chaos of the post-war period, Rudy managed to finish four years of medical school in Austria, and then immigrated to the U.S. and finished his postgraduate training in 1952 at the Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
While in Dallas, he set his eye on a beautiful red head, Marion Fahey of Kansas City, MO and married her in 1954. After completing his specialty training in 1956 and the birth of the couple’s first daughter (Lori), he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in a number of large OB-GYN military facilities at the height of the post-war baby boom. This service included a two-year posting in Stuttgart, Germany, where their second daughter (Chrissi) was born in 1959. Following completion of his military tour, the family moved to Brunswick, where he established his practice in obstetrics and gynecology, and spent the next 30 years ushering thousands of babies into the world before retiring in 1990. Rudy rarely went anywhere in Brunswick without bumping into former patients, or the “babies” that he delivered, some of whom he enjoyed meeting again among The Highlands staff.
Dogs played a major role in Rudy’s life from a very young age, and was never without at least one faithful companion by his side. For many years was very active in the sport of dog field-trialing. He imported several dogs from England and Ireland including Bonnie, a Blackfield Pointer and the English Sharnberry Red Bracken setter. Over the years he won many prizes the performance and handling of his dogs. The devoted love and companionship that these dogs brought to his family far outweighed the ribbons handing on the wall. He was also a skeet enthusiast, and spent many happy hours with his friend Brad Varney at Varney’s Clay Sports in Richmond.
His wife, Marion, predeceased him in 2009. He leaves behind two daughters: Lori Parkinson and her husband Durward Parkinson, of Kennebunk, Maine and Chrissi Kelly and her husband Thomas Kelly of Twyford, Hampshire, England. His four grandchildren, Emma and Isabel Parkinson, and Jenny and William Mosseri-Marlio brought him great joy.
His family is very grateful for the kind and loving care that he received from the staff at Cadigan Lodge, and Hospice care provided by Chans. Everyone made sure these final months as comfortable and dignified as possible. We would also like to thank all of his many friends and co-workers that devotedly came to see him these past four months.
Burial will be private.
There will be a reception to celebrate his life at The Brunswick Inn (165 Park Row, Brunswick) on Friday, Oct. 24 from 4 to 6 p.m.
For those unable to attend, condolences to the family may be made at www.brackettfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to one of these organizations that he supported: Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust (108 Maine St., Brunswick, ME 04011), Coastal Humane Society (30 Range Road, Brunswick, ME 04011), or the Brunswick Dog Park (c/o Town of Brunswick, P.O. Box 821, Brunswick, ME 04011.)
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