A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Jan. 27 in Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Mercerville, for Dr. Louis G. Fares, who died Jan. 22 in St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton. He was 89.

Dr. Fares had a long affiliation with St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton. It was there he helped establish the oldest surgical residency training program, where he was both the program director and chairman of the surgical department for many years.

At St. Francis, he was also responsible for establishing the region’s first comprehensive cancer program. He was also one of the founders of the Mercer County unit of the American Cancer Society.

Born in Trenton, Dr. Fares was a lifelong Mercer County resident. As a youngster, he attended St. John (Sacred Heart) Grammar School, and was a member of the first graduating class of Trenton Catholic High School. He received a full scholarship to Villanova University, finishing first in his class and was accepted to an early admission to Georgetown Medical School, Washington, D.C.

After completing internships in St. Francis Hospital and service in the military, including being one of the first physicians in Japan after World War II, he returned to Trenton in private practice, preceptoring in surgery. He met and married Anne Ader, a nurse, in St. Francis.

The family moved to Baltimore in 1954 where he completed his training at the Maryland General/Johns Hopkins surgical residency and became board certified. The family returned to Trenton in 1956 and Dr. Fares opened Fares Surgical Associates with Dr. F. John Cottone in 1963. This premiere surgical group provided superb surgical care to countless patients throughout the region for more than 50 years.

His accomplishments included serving on the faculty of several medical schools including Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Dr. Fares held membership of the American Medical Association, the Mercer County Medical Society, the Medical Society of New Jersey, the Society of Surgeons of NJ, the American College of Surgeons and many others, where he also served as an officer or president of numerous organizations.

He served on the board of Blue Shield of NJ and then Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ. In 1954, Pope Pius IX named him a Knight of the Order of Equestrian of the Holy Sepulchre. He was also a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

Dr. Fares was predeceased by his parents, George and Minnie Elias Fares; his three sisters, and his wife of 52 years, Anne. He is survived by his children, Dr. Louis G. Fares II (Jeanne) of Lawrenceville; Ron Fares of New Mexico; Kathy Fares of Dallas Tex., Luanne Paglione of Los Angeles, Calif., and Gigi Laskey (Larry) of Haddonfield; nine grandchildren; one great grandchild; one sister, and his companion of the past few years, Betty Funari.

Entombment was in Our Lady of Lourdes Madonna Mausoleum, Hamilton.

Memorial contributions in Dr. Fares’ name may be made to the Surgical Residency Program at St. Francis Medical Center, 601 Hamilton Ave., Trenton, N.J. 08629.