Dr. Israel Jerome Flance, a highly acclaimed and honored physician and professor at the Washington University School of Medicine and a former chair of the St. Louis Jewish Light Editorial Committee, died Friday, April 2, 2010, of infirmities, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He was 98 and had lived in Creve Coeur.

Dr. Flance was born in Brooklyn, N.Y on Nov. 28, 1911. He attended City College in New York, where he boxed competitively. He moved to St. Louis in 1929 to attend Washington University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1931 and a doctor of medicine degree in 1935.

During his residency at Koch Hospital in St. Louis, the city’s Tuberculosis Hospital and the Pneumonia Service at Harlem Hospital in New York City, he contracted tuberculosis. He required a year to recover. Later, Dr. Flance became director of pulmonary service at St. Louis City Hospitals.

Dr. Flance later joined the medical staff of Jewish Hospital (now Barnes-Jewish), where he became Senior Attending Physician. He had also served as assistant director of the hospital’s Department of Medicine, instructor and later professor of Clinical Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine.

He also strongly believed that the urban area surrounding Jewish Hospital needed to be stabilized, and that the hospital should remain in the Central West End. He directed the $180 million expansion of BJC from the Central West End to Forest Park Southeast.

In 2003, Big Brothers Big Sisters awarded Dr. Flance its highest community service award for his work on that project. He was praised for bringing together the university, residents and developer McCormack Baron & Associates to complete the extensive project.

He also received several major honors during his tenure at Washington University, including Department of Medicine Teacher of the Year in 1981, the medical school’s Century Award and an honorary doctoral degree in humanities in 2002.

In addition, a visiting lectureship, a professorship of pulmonary medicine and a distinguished alumni scholarship were established in his name.

Dr. Flance’s personal experience with lung disease and his professional expertise in the field, was evident while he served as chair of the St. Louis Jewish Light Editorial Committee in 1969.

When a fellow board members suggested that the Jewish Light could improve its financial bottom line by seeking cigarette advertising, Dr. Flance, who normally had a cheerful and jovial demeanor, bristled. “Absolutely not!” he said. “How could we even think about taking ads for a product that we know endangers the health and lives of those who use it?” The board of the Jewish Light backed Dr. Flance’s position.

Dr. Flance also showed great interest and encouraged maximum coverage of the Jewish Community Center’s Camp Hawthorn, the predecessor camping facility to the JCC’s Camp Sabra.

Dr. Flance and his wife, the former Rosemary Weisels, were long active with the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Dr. Flance chaired the Physician Division for the 1966 Jewish Federation Campaign. They were longtime members of Temple Israel and later of Congregation Shaare Emeth.

Survivors include his wife, Rosemary; a son, Stephen Flance of Santa Fe, N.M.; a daughter, Patty Croughan, of St. Louis; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held Tuesday at Congregation Shaare Emeth.

Burial was private.

Memorial contributions can be made to the I. J. Flance, M.D. Philanthropic Fund, c/o the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, Mo., 63146.