George Clayton Kyle, 90, formerly of Chestnut Hill, a physician who was considered a pioneer in maintaining tight blood sugar control to prevent the complications of diabetes, died Dec. 24 of complications from a subdural hematoma at Beaumont at Bryn Mawr.
A specialist in internal medicine, Dr. Kyle spent his entire medical career at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as chairman of its medical board from 1977 to 1979.
He founded the Rodebaugh Diabetes Center at HUP and served on its board until the end of his career. During his time at Penn, he rose from the rank of instructor in the Department of Medicine to clinical associate professor of medicine.
After his retirement, HUP established the Kyle Chair, the G. Clayton Kyle Associate Professorship in Diabetes, which “honors Dr. G. Clayton Kyle, a beloved physician who was among the first to treat diabetes with constant glucose monitoring.”
Dr. Kyle also served on the boards of the Church of the Advocate, Chestnut Hill Academy, which his sons attended, Springside School, which his late wife, Barbara McDowell Kyle, attended and also served on the board.
Born in Montclair, N.J., he graduated from Princeton University in 1945 and received his medical degree in 1947 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed his residency in internal medicine.
After his residency he served in the CIA, stationed in Munich, Germany, from 1951 until 1953.
A longtime Chestnut Hill resident, Dr. Kyle formerly belonged to the Philadelphia Cricket Club, the Pohoqualine Fishing Club, the Sunnybrook Golf Club, the Acorn Club, the Causeway Club of Southwest Harbor, Maine, and the Rabbit.
He enjoyed gardening and was an avid fly fisherman well into his 70s.
He is survived by sons Rogers, of Charleston, S.C., Clayton, of South Freeport, Maine, Wallace, of West Windsor, N.J., and Louis, of Philadelphia.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin’s Lane in Chestnut Hill. Memorial donations may be made in Dr. G. Clayton Kyle’s name to: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine Office of Development, 3535 Market St., Suite 750, Philadelphia, PA 19104 – WF
