Kenneth Ray Easler Md

KENNETH RAY EASLER MD, 79, a former resident of San Diego, peacefully died in his Montana home March 28, 2012 following an illness. He will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, and lively storytelling. Ken, “Boots”, was born February 8, 1933 at St. John’s Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA to Joseph C. and Irene (Weismann) Easler, the third of six children; brothers Joseph, Roy and Donald and sisters Lois Roberts and Irene Czuchan. As a child, he desired to become a physician following an illness, misdiagnosed as a cold. Later, as a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh, he tested polio vaccinations for Dr. Jonas Salk. It was then he discovered he had already acquired antibodies for the disease. He believed that the misdiagnosis of his childhood illness likely saved his life since he was sent outside, in the fresh air, to play. (Later, when his own children were sick, he prescribed lots of sunshine.) Due to Ken’s penchant for storytelling, we know that while working his way through medical school, Ken had several “interesting” jobs. Some included welding steel girders on skyscrapers, making hot dogs at a meat factory, pressing clothes for a Chinese laundry, and working at the steel mill. He mainly interned at Pittsburgh’s Washington Hospital. But due to a severe shortage of interns at the time, he and his roommates served four area hospitals on a rotating basis 24 hours a day. He nearly quit his chosen career shaken by the death of a patient in the emergency room. Ken enlisted in the US Navy in 1955 and was stationed in San Diego on the USS Washburn as the medical officer between 1959 -62. Upon completion of active duty he moved to La Mesa and opened his medical practice with Parkway Medical Group as a General Practitioner. In 1970 he retired from the navy with the rank Lt. Commander. He served on the Board of Directors for Villa View Community Hospital for several years, frequently as Chief of Staff. Due to a change of population needs, he moved his practice to Poway. He retired from medicine in 1996, and later moved to Montana to enjoy golf and the mountains. Ken was known as someone that would always lend a hand when needed, from helping to fight one of the largest fires in San Diego County to resuscitating a drowning victim at Mission Bay. He continued to make house calls when it was no longer common practice to do so. Ken frequently offered his services to La Mesa Pop Warner, Doctors Without Borders, the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, local schools and other sporting (pro and amateur) events. Ken was married October 31, 1959 to the late Patricia Rice Easler of Donora, PA (1938 - 1998). He is predeceased by his parents and three brothers, Joseph, Roy and Donald. He is survived by his four children: Kim (Greg) Felton of Stateline, NV, Valerie (Richard) Baum of Rochester, NY, Kevin or Scottsdale, AZ, and Keith (Larona) of San Diego, CA, and ten grandchildren: Kyler, Jenner, and Aubrey Felton; Matthew, Christopher, Amanda, and Victoria Baum; Austin and Shelby Easler; and Aliyah Easler; two sisters, Lois (John) Roberts of OH, and Irene (Frank) Czuchan of FL, and two sisters-in-law, Kathleen Easler of TX, and Gertrude Easler of PA, and numerous nephews and nieces. There will be a memorial service at Fort Rosecrans, San DiegoJune 27, 2012 at 12 noon.