Dr. Vitaly Sawyna, 62, of Salisbury Township, died March 30, 2016, in Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township. Born in Allentown, he was the son of the late Wasyl and Halyna Sawyna.

He was a graduate of William Allen High School and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Muhlenberg College in 1975 and his medical degree in 1981 from the Medical College of Pennsylvania.

A general and bariatric surgeon, licensed in both Pennsylvania and Florida, he served his surgical residency at Allentown affiliated hospitals from 1981 to 1986. From 1986 to 2007 he was on the staff at Sacred Heart Hospital, where he had surgery privileges. From 2007 to 2013, he served as chief of surgery at the former Westfield Hospital, Allentown. He became affiliated with Blue Mountain Health System around 2007 and presently was a surgeon on their staff. He also had surgical privileges at Easton Hospital.

He became a Fellow of both the American Society of Abdominal Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons in 1989 and 1992, respectively. He became a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery in 1989 and the American Board of Abdominal Surgery in 1990. He has been published in numerous medical journals over the years.

A pilot, he was certified as an aviation medical examiner by the Federal Aviation Administration in 1988 and was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

He treasured life and strived to make the quality of it better for his patients. He continued to do this even after his own death by participating in the Gift of Life Program.

He is survived by daughters, Kelly F., of Philadelphia and Jillian M., of Huntington Beach, Calif; fiance, Cherie Kraynick, of Allentown.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lehigh County Humane Society, 640 Dixon St., Allentown, 18103.

Arrangements were made by the J.S. Burkholder Funeral Home, Allentown.