Gerald Rainer

Dr. Rainer's personality was such that he attended our national meeting in Atlanta in 1997 and actually moved us to Denver for our 2000 convention. I had never seen him before that Atlanta experience. He treated me as if we grew up together. Then he learned that I was from Sumter County, Alabama that joined his home county of Pickens and that did it. He was a gentleman and a scholar. I thank God that our paths crossed. I shall remember him.

Thomas E. Ball, M.Div, Executive Director, Retired, The National Association of IRB Managers-Leaders, Atlanta, GA

Dr Rainer was a great friend and colleague with an incredible life story and family. He will be greatly missed.

Dr. Rainer began mentoring me when I was a teenager volunteering at St. Joseph Hospital. He arranged for me to observe one of his former trainees in the OR, and this experience inspired me to pursue a career in medicine. He was from a generation in which the majority of physicians were men, but from the day that I met him, he always treated me as capable of succeeding in the field. Dr. Rainer led by example, and I have a clear memory of him warmly greeting everyone from his peers to the cleaning staff at St. Joseph. My family continues to speak about how much we enjoyed attending musical performances in the Rainer Auditorium, as well as the friendships that developed with other attendees. We are grateful to have known Dr. Rainer and he will be missed.

I met Dr. Rainer almost 11 years ago when I came to work at Saint Joe's. His love of Saint Joe's and his patients was so deep. He was a great physician, caring man and loving husband. He will be missed and remembered fondly forever.

A great surgeon,great man &great friend to the Scanlan family.

May wonderful memories fill your hearts with love and bring you peace. 1Thess 4:13,14

I had the privilege of knowing and working alongside Dr. Rainer at the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation and SCL Health beginning in June of 2014. While I was lucky enough to office next door to him for some time, I quickly understood his love for the following: sweets (any and all kinds!), helping others (especially with medical referrals and second opinions), connecting with his colleagues (both past and present), learning today's newest technologies to keep up with today's trends, holiday traditions, his social circle and the many activities and organizations he was a part of, and perhaps most importantly, his love for his dear wife and family. While I would like to think that I took Dr. Rainer under my wing, caring for him as if he were my own family member, there is not a doubt in my mind that he thought he was doing the same for me. While I often got to hear and see the "tough" Dr. Rainer that many of his residents often recalled, I was lucky enough to get the warm, genuine, funny Dr. Rainer in all of my interactions. He was a dear, incredible man that I feel so lucky to have gotten to know over the years. Thank you for being a light in my Saint Joe's life, Dr. Rainer. You will most certainly be missed and thought of often! With love, Cindy

I was blessed to know and work for Dr Rainer during my life. He was a physician like no other. Dr Rainer loved his patients and loved his work. As an observer of those residents he trained , his resident love could often be tough and demanding. I knew however that Dr Rainer's goal was to develop and train the best physicians possible. ONLY excellence was accepted. Along with my Dad, Dr Rainer was a personal inspiration on my path to medicine. God bless you Dr Rainer and thank you.

Dr. Rainer was instrumental in my decision to go to medical school and become a physician and surgeon. He was old school in the best possible ways: tough and tireless, dedicated, inspirational, fascinated by his love of medicine and able to pass on that inspiration to others.

While I really did not know Dr. Rainer, I am forever grateful to him for saving my father after he ruptured his aorta It gave him another 20 years of life. May he rest in peace. Vincent Zarlengo