Carl Shrader M.D.

A beloved family physician, Buffalo Park conservationist, and longtime Flagstaff resident, Dr. Carl Shrader passed away peacefully after a short illness on November 23, 2025, at Flagstaff Medical Center with his children by his side. He was 94.
Carl was born in Bloomington, Indiana, to Carl and Gladys Shrader, grew up in Franklin, Indiana, during the Depression and World War II, and graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1956.
Post graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force, achieving the rank of Captain while stationed at the Strategic Air Command Base in Lake Charles, Louisiana. While there, he delivered hundreds of babies and performed hundreds of tonsillectomies, enabling him at his peak to complete one in 3:30 minutes. On discharge, the family returned to Warsaw, Indiana, where he set up private practice, seeing as many as 60 patients per day.
While in Warsaw, Carl helped cofound the YMCA, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary and was the team doctor for Warsaw High School football and basketball teams. He carried his passion for the YMCA to Flagstaff, where he could be seen working out 3-4 times per week up until the last weeks of his life.
In 1966, the family moved to Flagstaff. He joined Drs. Kahle, Smith, and later Swetnam, then later established his own private practice. He was a fixture in the Flagstaff medical community, maintaining medical staff privileges at Flagstaff Medical Center for nearly five decades, serving as Medical Staff President in 1975 and rotating through the ER as needed before the advent of ER specialists.
Over his 60 years, one month, and three days in practice, retiring (for the third time) in 2016 at age 85, from Concentra, he delivered over 1,100 babies and performed over 1,000 tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy procedures. His suturing prowess was well known (he had a lot of practice on his youngest son, Andy, with over 600 stitches).
In his "free" time, Carl was a passionate advocate for community health and conservation. He was one of the Founding members of the "Save Buffalo Park" Committee, which successfully preserved the park from highway development in 1986. Surviving members recently installed a bench at the park entrance to honor his efforts. He also fiercely advocated against smoking and was an active member of successful campaigns to outlaw smoking in the workplace across Coconino County, the City of Flagstaff, and the State of Arizona. He later encapsulated his seven decades of healing experience in his book, How To Be Your Own Doctor.
A man of diverse passions, Carl was a championship Rapid-fire pistol shooter taking up the sport in the early 60s. He was an alternate to the U.S. Olympic pistol team in 1980, but missed his chance to compete due to the Russian Olympics boycott. He was an Arizona State Champion, a member of the U.S. International Shooting team, and competed in the Benito Juarez Games in Mexico City. His skills were so renowned that he was deputized as a "ringer" for the Coconino County Sheriff Department, helping them win the 1970 State Pistol Championship.
Carl was a proud Cub Scout Cubmaster for 13 years for both his boys at Sechrist School's Pack 33.
A lifelong runner, Carl could be seen for decades jogging along the streets of Flagstaff. He proudly completed the Fiesta Bowl Marathon and many 10Ks. He was also a Senior Master at Duplicate Bridge, a member of MENSA, and enjoyed skiing at the Snow Bowl and hiking the Grand Canyon with his children, golfing, and tennis. He was a Past President and Senior Active member of the Flagstaff Rotary Club from 1966 to 1999.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Judith Wood Shrader, his three children, Tammie, Alaska; Greg, Phoenix; Andy (Julie) and adored grandchildren, Henry and Cora, California. He is also survived by his sister, Barbara Rohrer of Walkerton, Indiana, and nieces and nephew: Kathy, Wendell and Angela, and their families.
He is predeceased by his nephew, Ken Rohrer, parents, Gladys and Carl Shrader, Sr., and beloved grandparents, Minnie and Ernest Linton, and many other relatives too numerous to mention as he had the distinction of being the oldest surviving family member.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a local blood bank, as Flagstaff's kept Carl going the last few years of his life, Meals on Wheels, Scouting America, or Flagstaff Sustainability Grants which can help fund protection of Buffalo Park.
A celebration of Carl's life will be held in Flagstaff in the springtime.