RiChard Cercle

Richard Allen Cercle M.D.
November 11, 1936 - February 16, 2020
Richard Allen Cercle, M.D. of Marsing, Idaho, passed away at home at the age of 83 on Sunday, February 16, 2020.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Ruth Cecrle, his wife of 47 years Patricia Cercle, and sister Donna Ring.

He is survived by his children, Diane Cercle (Ross Hoffman) of Nampa, ID, and Kim Cercle-Kent (Hartzell Kent) of Marsing, ID; grandchildren, Nika and Chase Hoffman of Nampa, ID, Cody Kent of Marsing, ID and James Heffner of Little Rock, AR; and numerous patients and friends whose lives he touched.

Richard was born in Berwyn, Illinois, and was the youngest of two children. He attended Riverside Brookfield High School and played both baseball and football. During the summers, Richard headed out to Plainview, Nebraska, to work on the farm with his aunt, uncle and cousins, which is where his lifelong love of horses began.

After high school, Richard attended the University of Illinois and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy in 1958, and went on to obtain his Doctor of Medicine in 1962. While working as a pharmacist, Richard met and courted his soon to be wife, Patricia, who was working as a nurse in a dermatologist's office in the same medical building. They were married in August 1963, and moved to California in 1966, where he spent two years as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force and completed his Gastroenterology Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

Richard moved his family to Modesto in 1971, where he started his private practice in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine while also acting as Chief of Medicine at Scenic General Hospital. Being one of the first Gastroenterologists in the area, Richard was instrumental in starting up the Gastroenterology units in the city's hospitals. He was also very active in the medical community and held leadership positions across numerous governing boards and medical society committees, in addition to multiple hospital staff appointments. Throughout his 40+ year career, he was a favorite among patients and saved the lives of many of them.

Outside of medicine, Richard threw his extra time and effort into the Care-ousel Therapeutic Horseback Riding program for people with disabilities and acted as President for over 20 years. He had a firm belief that riding a horse and experiencing its strength and motion had an amazing effect on the physical and mental well-being of both children and adults. The non-profit program was run out of he and Patricia's home in Modesto and daughter Kim is still acting as the program's long-time instructor. He was also involved in Backcountry Horsemen and enjoyed sharing his knowledge of Wilderness Medicine.

Known to his friends as "Dick" and to patients as "Doc", anyone who knew Richard would tell you he was larger than life and a brilliant man. He was a wonderful doctor, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Although his career as a doctor kept him incredibly busy, he always enjoyed taking time to get away to go hunting, horseback riding, or skiing with family or friends and will be forever missed.

Funeral services will be held at Dakan Funeral Chapel, 504 S Kimball Ave, Caldwell, ID, on Saturday February 29, at 10:30 am. Interment will take place immediately following at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Caldwell. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.dakanfuneralchapel.com

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to Care-ousel Therapeutic Riding in Richard's name at P.O. Box 578621, Modesto, CA 95357. A scholarship in Richard's name will be set up for riders in need who participate in the Care-ousel Therapeutic Riding program.

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