William Earl Badger III

William Earl Badger III

Dr. William Earl (Earl) Badger III, 85, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away peacefully at home on December 1 after a courageous battle with cancer. Earl was born on December 20, 1939, to Drs. William Earl Badger, Jr. (Bill) and Demarious Cornell Badger in Lubbock, Texas. Raised in Hobbs, New Mexico, he graduated from Hobbs High School in 1957. Continuing the line of Badger alums attending the University of Michigan, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry in 1961 and from the UofM Medical School in 1965. He married Susan Badger Doyle after medical school and had three children through his early medical career: William Earl (Bill) Badger IV born in 1968 at Holloman Air Force Base hospital in southern NM where Earl served as Captain for Aviation Medicine for the U.S. Air Force (receiving a Faithful Service Honorable Discharge Feb 23, 1980);Rebecca Badger Peterson in 1969 in Ann Arbor, MI while Earl was a Department of Surgery Intern; and Rachel Susan Badger in 1971 in Morgantown, WV, while working as a Resident in Surgery. In 1972, he moved to Albuquerque with his family and practiced medicine as a Surgeon and Chief of Surgery at Lovelace Medical Center for over 25 years before his retirement in 1998. Earl married Amy Holloway Badger in 1997 and they had one child, Ava Emily Badger, in 2003 whom they raised in Albuquerque.

As a general surgeon in New Mexico, Dr. Badger performed a range of operations. His expertise in thyroid and parathyroid procedures was well known throughout the region. His technical skill was only surpassed by the care and attention he provided for his patients and the kindness and thoughtfulness he offered as they recovered. He left a lasting impact on countless residents during their rotations and those practicing today will no doubt have a wonderful story or two of their time with him. Beyond the medical awards and recognitions throughout his long career, Earl was most proud of his children and their families who reside in Albuquerque, Denver, CO and Costa Mesa, CA.

Earl had a variety of interests that spanned coin collecting, genealogy research, piloting small aircraft, bird hunting, traveling and classical music. He was a voracious reader of fiction, non-fiction, history and westerns. He was a lifelong athlete having grown up playing tennis for Hobbs High School, playing his freshman year at the University of Michigan, and was a part of a traveling team representing the U.S. Air Force out of Holloman Air Force Base. He loved the regular matches years. Earl was an accomplished and devoted handball player, and enjoyed fly fishing and golfing. He even took up travel cycling with close friends, where he and Amy enjoyed rides across Iowa (RAGBRAI), Tasmania, and New Zealand! He enjoyed travel to visit his children, family and friends all over the U.S. and he raised his older children taking them to National Parks with close family friends the Chapells of Michigan. Years of antics and great fun were had with two very close and special families; the Bardackes and Conns which will remain forever etched in our memories.

Earl was a truly unique, memorable and beloved individual. His wit, sharp intellect, storytelling, and ability to connect with people made a profound impact on those around him. The Great Badger (or TGB as he was humorously anointed) was the life of any party and always on the guest list. He loved to engage in political discussions and matters of current interest, and loved family history. He will be greatly missed by so many.

Earl is survived by his daughters Rebecca Peterson, Rachel Badger, and Ava Badger; former spouse and closest confidante Amy Badger; sister Judy Hudenko (John); and former spouse Susan Badger Doyle. Earl leaves behind seven grandchildren whom he adored. In loving memory, we especially recognize his late son Bill Badger (Cheryl), sister Ellen Shanor (Stuart), and parents Bill and Demarious Badger. Love and gratitude to Earls's beloved extended families: Badger, Holloway, Hudenko, Shanor, Mahaney, Williams, Peterson, Wieland, Cornell, Varnum, and Linder. Special thanks and eternal gratitude to the communities & networks that have provided love and support: University of Michigan alumni friends; Lovelace Medical Center past and current teams and coworkers; his current medical support staff including physicians, specialists, nurses, and therapists at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center; and last but never least, his long-time handball, tennis, and golfing families, and friends and neighbors of the Village of Los Ranchos, all of whom he cherished beyond measure.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers and gifts, donations be made to the following charities and organizations:

Albuquerque Academy Beyond the Baseline, a nonprofit dedicated to providing access to tennis, life skills and education for underserved and underrepresented youth at low or no cost. Make a Gift - Beyond the Baseline

University of Michigan Alumni Association: Make a Gift - Michigan Giving

University of New Mexico Cancer Center: Giving Hope | Charitable Gift | Donation |

UNM Cancer Center

Celebration of Life details are forthcoming.