Dr. Randall John Rogalsky of
Godfrey, Illinois, passed away on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at the age of 68. Most knew him as Randy or Doc; we knew him as Dad and Grandad.
Randy was born on July 3, 1955 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to John and Marguerite Rogalsky. He was the eldest of six children, and spent his childhood developing a love of hockey and curling. He always loved being a big brother, playing games and leading shenanigans with his siblings, both in town and out on the family farm. It was clear early in his life that Randy had quick reflexes and good instincts that would later serve him well in medical emergencies: at age twelve, he saved his younger cousin Gary's life when Gary fell into a ditch full of fast-flowing water.
Randy married Constance Anne Bowman on September 24, 1976 in Winnipeg. They met as medical school students at the University of Manitoba, graduating together in 1980. Randy and Anne would go on to have four children together: Jeannie, Lindsay, James, and Lauren.
Randy specialized in orthopedic surgery, and in the fall of 1986, he was recruited by Chet Hill to join the fledgling Alton MultiSpecialists, where he would remain for 36 years, enjoying a career in orthopedics that touched a great many lives in the Riverbend communities and beyond.
Providing our community with excellent medical care close to home was the guiding principle of Randy's career, and not only with regard to the orthopedics that he personally practiced. He was a leader in the Riverbend medical community. His positions over the years included: President of Alton MultiSpecialists for more than 20 years, Chairman of the Alton Memorial Hospital Medical Staff, Chairman of the Alton Memorial Hospital Department of Surgery, Medical Director of both HealthSouth Physical Therapy and Select Physical Therapy, and Member of the Building Committee for the Alton Doctors Building. He was hugely honored to receive both the Alton Memorial Hospital Chairman's Award in 2010, and the Alton Memorial Hospital HIT (High Impact Teammate) Award. He also served on the Lewis & Clark Community College Foundation Board of Directors for many years.
In his own practice, it was well-known to his staff that Dr. Rogalsky would never turn a patient away, no matter how busy he was and without regard for the patient's ability to pay. He would often pay out of his own pocket for things like splints or braces, if a patient couldn't afford them. "That was just the way he practiced," his colleagues have said.
Randy liked to refer to his work as carpentry, and often said that his favorite career moments were when he was out in the community and encountered patients whose knees or hips he'd replaced. Sometimes they'd do a little dance to show him how well the new joints he'd given them were working out, which always made his day.
Outside of the office and operating room, Randy's passion was coaching, developing, and expanding youth hockey in the St. Louis area. Hockey was his second job for many years, and he liked to say, "If I'm not at the off-ice, I'm probably on-ice." (ba-dum tss) Over the years he coached teams in Granite City, East Alton, St. Louis, and Creve Coeur, as well as the high school teams at MICDS and Alton Marquette. (Most of his teams had at least one of his kids on them, but his coaching wasn't exclusively limited to kids: while in med school, he coached the club team that boasted on its roster fellow student Anne "Bruiser" Bowman.)
Expanding opportunities for kids to play hockey in our area was hugely important to Randy. In the early 90s he worked tirelessly to build the East Alton Ice Arena, changing the face of ice sports for an entire generation of Riverbend kids. He remained active on the Arena's Board of Directors for many years. Girls' hockey was always a priority, and Randy was a coach with the St. Louis Force (now known as the Cyclones, St. Louis' all-girls hockey club) for years. In 2002, he coached the U12 team all the way to USA Hockey Nationals in Alaska: the first St. Louis girls' hockey team to qualify for the national tournament.
Randy was (of course) a life-long NHL fan, and friendships formed before he left Winnipeg led to a particularly fun adventure that drew on both his medical and hockey passions: for many years in the 90s, Randy served as the on-the-road team doctor for the Winnipeg Jets when they were in St. Louis playing the Blues. He even traveled with them to Chicago a few times. His kids loved seeing him on TV during those games, rubbing shoulders with NHL stars on the bench.
Randy was a longtime member and multiple-term president of Lockhaven Country Club, where he played more rounds of golf over the years than many people might guess possible. He loved to downhill ski, especially in
Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He enjoyed traveling internationally with Anne prior to her death in 2019, and was proud to have played golf on three different continents. (Lockhaven remained his favorite, though a couple of courses on Kauai also brought him back again and again.)
In more recent years, Randy loved spending time with his partner, Mary Baumgartner, and holding court at Old Bakery Beer, visiting with his wide circle of friends.
Above all else, Randy was a family man who was fiercely proud of his four children and three grandchildren. He signed every birthday and holiday card "D.O.D." for "Dear Old Dad." Family road trips and other adventures were frequent and fun, and full of countless belly laughs. He was a connoisseur of the Dad Joke.
Randy said to his kids more than once, "At my funeral, I want you to tell them that I had fun every day of my life." Readers, we can confirm: he had fun every day of his life.
He is survived by his mother, Marguerite (Bergen) Rogalsky; his four children, Jeannie Rogalsky (Emily Resseger), Lindsay Rogalsky, James Rogalsky (Lauren Pattan), and Lauren Rogalsky (C Fleck); his three grandchildren, C.S. and George Biedenstein, and Murray Rogalsky; his partner, Mary Baumgartner; his siblings, Don Rogalsky (Debbie), Elaine Aubin (Andrew), Barb Hodge (David), Ken Rogalsky (Lori), and Candace (Nick); and a great many beloved nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his wife, Anne Bowman, and his father, John Rogalsky.
His family is very grateful for the excellent care he received at Alton Memorial Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, BRIA of Godfrey, and Heartland Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation: https://altonmemorialhealthservicesfoundation.org/rogalsky
There will be a celebration of Randy's life on Friday, December 8, 2023 at The Old Bakery Beer Co, 400 Landmarks Blvd., Alton Illinois, from 3pm-7pm. Remarks will begin at 4pm. Fun, cheerful clothing is encouraged. (Might we suggest a hockey sweater? Canadian tuxedos or anything with the color red would also be excellent choices.) Gent Funeral Home in Alton is handling the arrangements. Online guestbook and information may be found at www.gentfuneralhome.com