Robert R. McIvor

1931 - 2021

Robert R. McIvor
March 29, 1931 - January 2, 2021
Resident of Rossmoor ~ Walnut Creek, CA
Long-time East Bay orthopedic surgeon Robert R. McIvor, MD, passed away peacefully January 2, 2021, after a long illness. He was surrounded by his grandchildren and their partners, and his long-time assistant Gino Maningas. He was a resident of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, after living for decades in Orinda, CA.
Dr. McIvor was born in Oakland in 1931 to Robert and Margaret McIvor, and attended Piedmont High School, where he was co-class president his senior year. He attended Williams College before transferring to Stanford University, and after graduation stayed on to go to medical school and orthopedic residency. An excellent athlete, he took up boxing while a medical student and used to sneak away from class to train, ultimately winning the San Francisco Golden Gloves competition.
After finishing his training, and a brief stint in the Army at Fort Ord in Monterey, CA, he moved to Santa Barbara, then back to Oakland to start his medical practice He married nursing student Loran Chandler, daughter of Dr. Loren Roscoe Chandler, dean of the Stanford Medical School, and they eventually had four children: Owen, Andrew, Doug and Wendy. The family made a home in Orinda, while Dr. McIvor worked long hours at three practices: Livermore, Lafayette (John Muir Hospital) and Oakland. He carved out time most days for a new athletic love, tennis. He joined the Berkeley Tennis Club and was still a dues paying member at the time of his passing. He was one of the best players in the state in the 1970's.
As time passed and his athletic pursuits left him with bad joints, he took up golf. He enjoyed many local outings with friends and golfers in and around Walnut Creek. Another mid-life interest was singing and acting. He took voice lessons and started his career with the San Francisco Gay Mens Chorus, and later was chosen for many minor parts in regional theater companies. He loved the old favorites like "Oklahoma" and "Carousel," and would often sing those standards around the house or while driving. He played the piano and sang at home, while Loran accompanied on the violin.
For a while he owned an alfalfa ranch in Fish Lake Valley, Nevada, and would drive a hay truck back and forth to supply Loran's horses with feed. If there was no help, he would load the flatbed truck by himself. Notoriously thrifty, he refused to upgrade his old truck, so broke down a few times, leading to different road adventures.
Even in his last years, he loved to go to the gym. When bad balance no longer allowed him to swing a golf club, he would still go to the local course in his golf cart. His motto of life was to "just keep on plugging."
Robert leaves behind his younger brother William, also a retired orthopedic surgeon, and sons Owen, Andrew, Doug, and daughter Wendy. His wife Loran died in 2002. He has five grandchildren and one great grandchild. There will be no service at this time due to the Covid pandemic.


View the online memorial for Robert R. McIvor