Roger Ranch

Roger A. Ranch, P.A., died Dec. 22, 2010, at age 67 in a house fire in Anchorage.

A memorial service will be Friday at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Fellowship, 3201 Turnagain St. A dessert potluck will be after the service.

Roger was born in Helper, Utah, on Oct. 6, 1943, to Arba and Alfred Ranch.

During World War II, Roger lived with his parents and brother Lewis on several military bases. In 1945, the family settled in San Mateo, Calif., where he graduated from high school in 1961. He earned an associate degree from San Francisco State University before joining the Army in 1963. Roger was trained as a paramedic and paratrooper and stationed on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific, where he became an accomplished scuba diver.

After leaving the military, Roger graduated from the University of Washington MEDEX program as a physician assistant. He moved to Bethel about 1972 to work with Alaska Natives through the Indian Health Service. There, under the guidance of mentor and very good friend Dr. Mike Holloway, he became an especially capable orthopedic P.A. and spent his long career skillfully caring for Alaskans' bone problems. Known as "Bones," he became far more proficient in the non-operative management of broken bones than most orthopedic surgeons, and he was widely respected by patients and doctors alike. Roger participated actively in medical exchanges between the Russian Far East and Alaska.

In 1997, Roger left Bethel to work in orthopedics at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. He ended his 31-year career in 2002 working with the Veterans Administration in Anchorage.

In retirement, Roger was active with the Alaska 49'ers cowboy action shooting club, where he was known as "Bonesetter," and in recent years with the progressive movement.

He is survived by his nephews, Jeffrey, Christopher and David Ranch; their children; and his sister-in-law, Margery Ranch.

He is missed by his family and many friends.