Don Ward Bowersox M.D.

"contrarian nature" is just the right term-- Glad they saw the value of it. Ward was my best friend thru Boy Scouts (excellent!) and High School. We shared the tent and cooking firepit on a lot of camping trips, and loved our woodsy hikes! Yes I loved his contrarian nature because of his creativity. He was always discovering some new perspective, or sometimes just stepping off the familiar path, as a committed left-hander!. He gave a lot to a lot of folks!

I was just thinking of Ward the other day and now, eight years after his passing, thought I'd leave a comment. I'm an inpatient internist who encountered Ward at Grand Rounds for nearly 20 years. His contrarian nature was a needed addition to any medical conference and he challenged everyone to think more critically before speaking. I went on to encourage members of the Medical executive committee and Swedish Board to always include a Ward Bowersox among their ranks as someone with his gifts...

PS:

I miss his wicked humor, and insightful take on world events as well

I first met Don at Providence Hospital in 1985 when joined the staff as a cardiac surgeon. He struck me as being insightful with a wicked sense of humor, an unusual combination. Over the next decades, we shared experiences in acute medicine, computer technology, and other shared interests. Later I was able to enjoy his labors as an expert chef, which was a unexpected talent in a physician. Will miss him.

Ward gave me a lot of help with my battle with Peripheral Neuropathy in my feet. I have been in a lot of pain and Ward gave me very valuable information on what I was going through (and what I was going to face in the future) and some therapy that even though it didn't get rid of the pain I was in a better place in my head and that was of great comfort. I will always have Neuropathy and I will always remember Ward for his consul.

Jan, you asked that I share my memories in writing so you and the girls would have them. My memories of "Dr. B" are all quite humorous, as you can imagine. For my 6+ years in respiratory care at Prov, his office was next to mine. I always knew when he was stressed, as the cigarette smoke wafted thru the walls to my office. Not to worry though, he always had a large bottle of Scope on his book shelf! Seasons were always marked by him as well - Christmas was near when the...

Ward's bio said he wore many hats. Another hat he wore was nephew and cousin. He was my mother's nephew. His father was her brother. He was dear to her, and will always be dear to me for his dedication to her while she lived. Even with major travel distance and his dislike for air travel, he made an effort to always keep in touch with her and visit. The visits were filled with wonderful cooking, conversation, and Midwest reminiscing. He appeared to enjoy a return to his Midwest roots,...

I was on my second cruise with the Bowersoxes, summer 1977, the year before Nightshade became part of the family. So, the 5 of us (Ward, wife Jan, kids Sal 9, Peg 5, and me) were packed into the chartered "Mariah", a fast well-built Morgan 27. We had anchored the night before in Echo Bay, Sucia Island, accompanied by a weather forecast best summarized as "too much wind."

Dawn broke in the form of heavy overcast. Wind was SE, trickling around into the bay, but...

As a professional colleague of Dr Bowersox, my memory is that he was an incredibly intelligent and hard-working physician who approached all patients with full dedication. Outside of the hospital, he was an excellent gourmet cook, who took great care in selecting his recipes and ingredients. We were the lucky recipients of many outstanding meals in their home. His interests were far-ranging: from small boat cruising to computer technology. I was in awe of his latest computer achievements. His...