Rodman Starke

Rodman Starke
Rodman David Starke "Rod" died as he wished; peacefully and easily, in his home on December 5th. He was preceded by the love of his life, Esther Benedict Starke and his son, Peter. He is survived by his daughter, Susan; son, Stephen; and grandchildren, Mel, Libby and Angelina. He lived for 91 years and made a powerful impact on the world of medicine, his community, and the people around him.
He loved his family, his friends, and his work. He got great pleasure from sports (lacrosse, fishing, skiing, tennis, golf), music (singing in the Dallas Symphony Choir), Travel with Heart Association and golf friends, good jokes, great puns, difficult puzzles, a well-turned phrase, and a delicious gourmet recipe. His Holiday feasts were legendary.
He and Esther were especially fond of the many escapades with The Guardsmen of San Francisco. Raising money for "Kids to Camp" and raising the bar on fun with the special group of friends they made in those times and kept close until the end.
They also created a lifetime of memories at their Bear Valley Cabin with the grand view of the top of the Sierra. Skiing and backpacking, sailing and tennis. There were horse pack trips, hikes, picnics and many late night conversations around the table or in front of the fire summer, winter and spring with everyone we loved.
Rod got deeply involved in everything he did. He sat on many boards including The Guardsmen of San Francisco, serving as President, and the Branson School in Ross.
He was born in Durham, N.H., to Ray and Ruth Starke, attended Andover, his beloved Williams College (Magna Cum Laude) where he was All-American in lacrosse, and Harvard Medical School. He served his Internship and Residency at Mass. General in Boston. He was a Fellow in Cardiology at the US Naval Aerospace Medical School in Pensacola, Fla., contributing to the Apollo missions readiness, a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the Council on Clinical Cardiology of the American Heart Assoc., a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, a member if the American Association for the Advancement of Science and board member of the National Association for Biomedical Research. He retired as Executive Vice President of the American Heart Association.
Rod was also clinical professor of Medicine at the UCSF and Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of California. He served as Chief of Cardiology, Director of the Coronary Care unit and Chief of Staff at Davies Hospital in San Francisco.
We are so grateful to know that he is at rest with Mom and Pete. We will see you on the mountain Dad.
Memories and photos can be shared on www.everloved.com Search Rodman Starke.