Francis Hamilton "Hal" Wisner

1929 - 2025

Eagle - Francis Hamilton "Hal" Wisner, M.D.

June 6, 1929 - July 7, 2025

Dr. Francis Hamilton (Hal) Wisner died peacefully at age 96 on July 7, 2025, in his home in Eagle, Idaho, surrounded by family and his dog, Zoe.

Hal was born on June 6, 1929, in San Francisco to Francis Preston and Dorothy Crane Wisner. He was raised in Yuba City, California, and attended Bridge Street School and Yuba City High School. His youth was filled with curiosity and adventure-he played trumpet, camped in the Sutter Buttes, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, took flying lessons in high school, worked a grown-up job on the levee at age 13, and raised homing and show pigeons. He also wreaked gentle havoc as one of The Squires-a high school group whose exact purpose is lost to time, but whose shenanigans were not.

Hal studied at the College of the Pacific in Stockton before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his undergraduate degree. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed his internship there as well. During this time, he and his first wife, Marjorie, welcomed three children: Jan, Dave, and Erik.

Fulfilling his military obligation, Hal served as a flight surgeon at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. He loved the new experiences the Air Force offered-riding in a supersonic aircraft, narrowly surviving a mid-air collision involving a C-119 Flying Boxcar and a wayward jeep during maneuvers, and forming enduring memories.

After his service, Hal completed a four-year surgical residency in Bakersfield, California, and in 1964 began private practice as a general surgeon in Davis. Over a career that spanned three decades, he treated patients with dignity, compassion, and just enough sarcasm to keep things human. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery. He also served as a clinical associate professor of surgery at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

Reflecting on his profession, Hal once said, "I loved what I did. I can't think of any work I'd like more."

While in Davis, Hal met and married Lois Nelson Jankovsky, who proved more than a match for him-smart, kind, and capable of tolerating his bad puns for nearly five decades. After retirement, they moved in 1997 to Eagle, Idaho, where they have lived since.

A man of boundless interests, Hal thrived at the intersection of science and art. He enjoyed reading all kinds of things, especially history, philosophy, and science, and-after losing his vision to macular degeneration-found solace in audiobooks, periodicals, and lectures from the Library for the Blind. In addition, he was an enthusiastic member of his delightfully named "Old Geezer Book Club."

Hal also had a lifelong artistic streak: he drew cartoons, crafted rebuses for his children, and made one-of-a-kind greeting cards. He was an accomplished photographer and woodworker, building heirloom toys for his grandchildren and fine furniture for the home.

He and Lois were serial Vizsla owners, and Hal was a devoted volunteer in the pet therapy program at St. Luke's, where he and their beloved Vizsla, Babe, brought comfort, calm, and a little canine chaos to hospital patients.

Hal's life advice was simple and wise:

Do what you enjoy doing in life.

Make sure it contributes to society.

Don't let income make your decision.

Hal is survived by his wife, Lois Wisner; his Vizsla, Zoe; his daughter, Janet Wisner, her husband Keith Shaw, and their sons Jackson and Walker; his son, David Wisner, his wife Carin, and their children Pete and Ava; his son, Erik Wisner, his wife Gina Gardner, and their children Tristan and Adriane; sister-in-law, Joyce Wisner; and several extended family members.

He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Bob Wisner ("Ankle Bob"), and many lifelong friends.

A celebration of Hal's life will be held in Davis, California, sometime in the fall.

If you wish to honor Hal's memory, donations may be made to one of these organizations close to his heart:

www.Idahotalkingbooks.org (audio books)

www.stlukesonline.org/about-st-lukes/donate-or-volunteer/make-an-online-donation (choose pet therapy or hospice)

Here's to you, Hal, let's have a gimlet!