Ronald Peter Wilbois, MD

Ronald P Wilbois, B.S., M.D., F.A.C.O.G, F.A.F.S.

Our loving spouse, father, grandfather, and friend, Ronald Peter Wilbois entered eternal life on Thursday May 14th, 2020 at the age of 82. Ron was born on his mother’s 40th birthday August 20th, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois to Peter and Ellen Wilbois.

He began his work life at age six driving people’s groceries home with his wagon. At age eight, he was a paperboy. He became a soda jerk at age 13, and by 15 was a pharmacy technician. Family, poverty and aging parents brought concerns of how he could care for his family. The cold reality his junior year of high school was that he needed to go to college. The problem was a C average. He approached the University of Illinois-Chicago for help. The final deal: one scholarship in exchange for straight A’s his senior year of high school. Ron achieved straight A’s and secured the scholarship with the university.

He graduated with honors from the college of pharmacy in 1959. That experience showed Ron that he could do or be anything he wanted if he tried “hard enough”. With the power of his new realization in mind, he forged ahead.

In 1960, he graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago, Navy Pier Pre-Med program. It was during this year, a nursing student, Carol Rischeck, stole his heart. They were married September 10th, 1960 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Ron entered University of Illinois-Chicago, College of Medicine in the fall of 1960, graduating in 1964 with his M.D. and two daughters to boot, Kimberly Carol and Krista Ellen. Ron moved the family to St. Louis, Missouri and completed his internship at Jewish Hospital in 1965.

Ron was drafted in the U.S. Army as a Medical Officer at Brooke Army General Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. He remained there until 1967, ending his military career as a Medical Officer Captain in the 25th and Americal Divisions, C.O. Company C. During that time, he served a 12 month deployment to Vietnam where he build a 120 bed hospital for wounded troops. Money saved, he returned to St. Louis to complete his four year residency at Washington University.

He declared his specialty in OB/GYN. Ten years earlier, he had delivered his first baby simply by circumstance; the doctor couldn’t get there in time. Who was that baby? His first daughter! The excitement was in his blood.

Ron began his new career at Washington University in 1971 as an OB/GYN instructor moving to assistant professor in 1973, and finally as Assistant Clinical Professor in 1986. During this time, he moved into private practice. He was now known as OB/GYN Consultants of St. Louis County. After six years, Ron made the difficult decision that he could no longer practice obstetrics without fear of endangering his family due to new laws and regulations enacted for Obstetricians.

His inner drive found a solution that would replace the loss: infertility. As an emerging field, he sought out the most knowledgeable IVF physicians in the world and trained under their instruction. In 1992, he hit a new milestone in his career; he launched the Infertility and IVF center at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. Frustrated and hopeless couples filled his chairs. Proud new parents decorated his office with the pictures of their angelic babies. This became his legacy. Ron finished his career as 13th in the nation for IVF success rates. His family is so proud of his accomplishments in life.

Ron is survived by his wife Carol Rischeck Wilbois; two daughters, Kimberly (Frank) Allen, Krista Howard; and four grandchildren, Travis Ronald (Alexis) Allen, Nathanael Frank (Lauren) Allen, Morgan Danielle Howard, and Zachary William Howard.

Services: Due to Covid-19, we are unable to gather at this time. A memorial service will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Doctors Without Borders. A service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory. Friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.