Obituary of Henry Aurandt

Dr. Henry N. “Rick” Aurandt, 80, of Hilton Head Island, husband of Helen “Jane” (Kirkpatrick) Aurandt, originally of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died on August 1, 2017, at Hilton Head Hospital, after a brief illness. Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on November 21, 1936, to Henry A. Aurandt and Mary Ethlyn (Norris) Aurandt, both deceased, Dr. Aurandt graduated from Kiskiminetas Springs School, Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1954, and Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, in 1958. Dr. Aurandt entered the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, Rhode Island, in 1959, and was commissioned as an Ensign. He served aboard U.S.S. FORSTER (DER-334) homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as Operations Officer and Executive Officer, and later remained in Pearl Harbor as Aide to Rear Admiral Charles A. Buchanan, U.S.N. Upon Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Navy, and following a brief stint as a radio disc jockey, Dr. Aurandt enrolled at Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and ultimately became President of his graduating class of 1968. Dr. Aurandt completed his internship and residency at Reading Hospital in Reading, Pennsylvania, and entered private practice as an obstetrician-gynecologist for nearly two decades. Upon moving to Hilton Head Island in 1992, Dr. Aurandt continued practicing medicine as a civilian physician at Naval Hospitals in Charleston, Beaufort, and Jacksonville until his retirement. An avid golfer, private pilot, piano player, and entrepreneur, Dr. Aurandt launched television station WTVE-TV Channel 51 in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1980. In the early 1990s, Dr. Aurandt started the website www.hiltonheadisland.com. Dr. Aurandt is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jane, of Hilton Head Island; his daughter, Leslie (Aurandt) Susskind, and son-in-law, William Susskind, of Strafford, Pennsylvania; his son, Kirk Aurandt, and daughter-in-law, Karen (Ferry) Aurandt, of Mandeville, Louisiana; his four grandchildren: John Aurandt of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Ellen Aurandt of Oakland, California; Paige Susskind and Rebecca Susskind, both of Strafford, Pennsylvania; his sister, Susan (Aurandt) Barker, and brother-in-law, Captain Kenneth Barker, U.S.N. (ret.), of Suwanee, Georgia; his brother, Benjamin Bowers, and sister-in-law, Melody, of Royersford, Pennsylvania; and his sister-in-law, Dona (Kirkpatrick) Pavloff, of Hilton Head Island. A memorial service will be held October 16th at 2:00 p.m. in the James Chapel of First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory. islandfuneralhome.com. To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Dr. Henry N. “Rick” Aurandt, please visit our Flower & Gift Shop.