Dr. Yorke Allen 3rd, age 73, died at home in Jupiter, Fla. on Jan 29 after complications from heart surgery. He was surrounded by his loving wife, Lesley Gorog Allen, and his family.

Born in New York City and raised in New Canaan, CT, Yorke was the third of six children to Yorke Allen Jr. and Elizabeth Ryland Sizer Allen. A twin born prematurely at just 3.4 pounds, he survived while his sister did not — marking the beginning of a life defined by resilience.

He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where he excelled in academics, athletics and music. He was both the leading scorer on the varsity ice hockey team and the first-chair violinist — an uncommon combination of skills that led him to Harvard in 1969.

As a freshman at Harvard, he made a bold choice that surprised the varsity hockey coach: he dedicated himself to the violin, a rare decision in the world of college athletics. When he wasn’t studying for his pre-med classes, he could often be seen driving a rusted-out VW Beetle in a threadbare tuxedo, en route to perform with the Boston Pops or the Worcester Symphony.

After graduating from Harvard in 1973, he attended Case Western Reserve Medical School and earned his medical degree in 1978. He completed his residency at George Washington University and began his career as an emergency room physician in 1982. Throughout his medical tenure, he was dedicated to both his patients and his colleagues. He took great pride in mentoring young physicians while serving the Washington, DC community in multiple hospitals. In 2007, he concluded his ER career as chairman of the emergency department at Arlington Hospital (now Virginia Hospital Center) where he left an indelible mark on countless lives.

He also played a critical role in coordinating medical leaders across the DC metro area following the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on The Pentagon. He formed the Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance (NVHA), bringing together 13 hospitals in the Washington Metropolitan region to develop medical response strategies for mass casualty events.

Working alongside a core group of medical leaders, he helped guide the NVHA in collaboration with fire, police, emergency medical services, and state, local and federal governments in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Under his leadership, the NVHA secured millions of dollars in federal funding for training, supplies and equipment — resources that proved invaluable when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020.

Maj. Gen. Michael K. Wyrick, former deputy surgeon general and chief of the Medical Service Corps, reflected on Yorke’s impact: “his presence, intelligence, and ability to conceptualize and articulate the mission, strategies, and tactics necessary to muster the thousands of medics around the Beltway held the attention of all who attended meetings with him. He was a true leader. I shall miss him greatly.”

Upon retirement, he continued his passion for the violin, playing with various chamber music groups in the DC area. He continued his 50-year involvement with Greenwood Music Camp in Cummington, serving as a volunteer and helping establish the tradition of Greenwood reunions. In addition to music, he learned the art of woodworking, utilizing his surgical hands to create beautiful heirloom furniture. He treasured the time working on projects with his sons, creating lasting memories through his craftsmanship.

Yorke was a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother devoted to his large family. Both he and Lesley hail from a family of six, one of the many common elements that sparked their love for each other seven years ago when introduced through Lesley’s late mother Gretchen and a dear family neighbor.

He will be remembered by all who love him for his generosity of character, compassion for all people he served as an ER physician, his sense of humor, wit and love for family. He believed he survived various personal medical challenges in his life due to ‘the Good Lord’ watching over him. His legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

Yorke is survived by his beloved wife, Lesley Gorog Allen, sons Yorke IV and his wife Virginia and their three daughters; Bradley and his wife Hadley and their two daughters and one son, Lesley’s daughter Annie Harris Kettler (Taylor) and their daughter and two sons; and son Christopher Gorog Harris. Yorke is also survived by his three brothers, Derry (Meg Weekes), David (Cindy), Roger (Susie) and sister, Mary Gorham (John), as well as his late sister Frances Allen Yerkes and a host of beloved extended family and friends who were blessed to know him.

A celebration of life will be held in the near future in McLean, Va. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Hospice organization in Palm Beach County.