GETMAN, Dr. Richard "Dick" Birdsong, 83, of Westwood, MA, died peacefully December 13, 2017 at the Rogerson House in Jamaica Plain. He was born in Boston on April 7, 1934, the son of Burrill M. Getman and Virginia Getman, née Birdsong.
Dick attended high school in East Greenwich, RI, and graduated from Williams College a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Kappa Alpha fraternities. He served in the United States Navy as the first psychiatrist deployed in the Vietnam War. Upon his return he served at the Naval Hospital in Newport, RI where he met and married Carol Hackney, a member of the US Naval Nurse Corps.
Following his service, Dick moved to Westwood, MA and opened a private psychiatric practice and was affiliated with many hospitals in the area. He also served as a clinical instructor of psychiatry at Tufts and Boston University schools of medicine.
Dick enjoyed spending time with family and friends, especially on the beaches of Rhode Island. He was an avid tennis player and member of the Dedham Country and Polo Club and the Dunes Club of Narragansett, Rhode Island.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years Carol Anne Getman, née Hackney, son Frederick Hackney Getman, brother Burrill "Bud" M. Getman Jr. of Naples, Florida, brother-in-law Richard H. Hackney of Bradenton, FL, and his many loving nieces and nephews.
Services will be privately held. Donations may be made in Dick's name to the Alzheimer's Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452.
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