Retired San Bernardino surgeon Arnold A. Michals, M.D. passed away on December 17, 2007. He was a member of SBCMS and the California Medical Association for 52 years. He was also a member and secretary-treasurer of the Tricounty Surgical Society and the American Lung Association, serving on its executive board.

Born in Killdeer, North Dakota, Dr. Michals received his medical degree in 1942 from the College of Medical Evangelists (Loma Linda University). He took his internship and surgical residency at Akron General Hospital in Akron, Ohio and completed a thoracic residency at Herman Kiefer Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Following service in the US Army during World War II, he practiced for a short time in Lodi and Modesto before returning to Loma Linda, where he practiced from 1955-1963. He then moved his practice to San Bernardino County Hospital. He chaired the Department of Surgery and served as president of the medical staff. Dr. Michals retired in 1994 and mored to Bainbridge Island in 2002.

His survivors include one son, Jerry Michals; two daughters, Kathy Engen and Joanne Wright; his brother, Herbert Michals; and one granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his wife Flaudia in 1996. Gravesite services were held at Montecito Mortuary and Park in Colton on December 23, 2007.

Chauncey L. Smith, M.D.

1923 - 2007

Retired Loma Linda physician Chauncey L. Smith, M.D. passed away on October 13, 2007 at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He was a 50-year member of SBCMS and the California Medical Association.

Born in Loma Linda, Dr. Smith received his medical degree from the College of Medical Evangelists in 1947. He took his internship at Los Angeles County Hospital and residencies in medicine at the College of Medical Evangelists and White Memorial Medical Center. He took a postgraduate course in physiology at the University of Maryland. Dr. Smith served in the U.S. Air Force 1948-1950, attaining the rank of Captain. His practice was Internal Medicine, and he held academic appointments at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He retired from his practices of medicine and teaching in 1985 after 55 years.

Dr. Smith was a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist church, and enjoyed collecting cars, bald eagle memorabilia and timepieces. He is survived by his wife, Lenna May Smith; sons, Berwyn Smith and Fred Smith; and three grandchildren. Services were held on October 26.

Charles K. Davenport, M.D.

1919 - 2007

Charles K. Davenport, MD passed away on September 24, 2007 of age-related causes in Springfield, Oregon. He was a member of SBCMS for 51 years.

Dr. Davenport was born June 5, 1919, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He graduated in medicine at the University of California, San Francisco in 1947. Following a residency at San Francisco City and County Hospital, he completed three and a half years of internal medicine residencies in the Bay area. In 1950 he came to Fontana with Southern California Permanente Medical Group and shortly thereafter joined our medical society and CMA. In 1953, Dr. Davenport was called to serve in the Air Force and spent two years in England where he was Chief of Medicine and Chief of Professional Services. Returning to our area, he practiced Internal Medicine in Fontana and for 16 years was the Director of Executive Health at Kaiser Steel.

Dr. Davenport taught at UCSF, USC, and Loma Linda University. He was an insurance examiner and Director of Occupational Health for San Bernardino County.

Dr. Davenport was a student of the famed photographer Ansel Adams and was an accomplished photographer in his own right. His landscapes and still life studies were exhibited in the former medical society building in Colton and in the San Bernardino County Museum, UC Riverside, the Fontana Red Cross, banks, business offices and hospitals in the Inland Empire. They were used for more than 50 magazine covers, calendars, and in books and an encyclopedia. He was a charter member of the SBCMS Historical Committee. He exhibited his work at several of the medical society's Physicians' Arts, Crafts and Hobbies exhibits, and from 1972 to 1976 his pictures enhanced the front covers of the Bulletin.

Dr. Davenport served his community in Rotary Clubs of Fontana and Rialto. He served ten years on the Board of the Inland Empire American Red Cross and three years as chairman of the Fontana chapter. He was also a member of the Fontana YMCA and the San Bernardino County Museum boards.

He was honored by SBCMS in 1988 with the Nicholas P. Krikes, M.D. Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Medical Society, for "what he has given to our profession, our organization and our personal appreciation of the wonders of life".

Dr. Davenport is survived by his wife, Audry; two daughters, Robin of Highland, CA, and Natalie of Eugene, Oregon; and two grandchildren.

Felix R. Lauron, M.D.

1950 - 2007

Retired Apple Valley Emergency Room physician and Anesthesiologist Felix Lauron, M.D. passed away on April 30, 2007. He was a member of SBCMS and the California Medical Association for 22 years. He was also a member of the California Society of Anesthesiologists and the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Born in Cebu City, Philippines, Dr. Lauron received his medical degree from Manila Central University in 1954. He took his internship at Perth Amboy General Hospital, New Jersey. Residencies in surgery at Wilkes Barre General Hospital and anesthesiology at Robert Packer Hospital, both in Pennsylvania, followed. Dr. Lauron practiced in the Philippines, Kentucky and Indiana before coming to California where he was licensed in 1980. He practiced in Apple Valley until he retired from active practice in 1997.

Among his survivors are his wife, Claire and his son, Mark Lauron, MD of Apple Valley.

Ronald P. Bangasser, M.D.

1950 - 2007

The national medical community lost one of its finest members and fiercest advocates when, on May 2, 2007, Doctor Ronald Paul Bangasser passed away. We cherish the memory of our distinctive leader, dedicated physician, and giving friend.

Ron Bangasser was a multi-talented and many faceted physician with passions including patient care, medical politics, hyperbaric medicine, SCUBA diving and family. His greatest satisfaction was in the hands-on care of patients - a role he never would relinquish no matter how hectic his professional life.

A national leader, Dr. Bangasser was a family practitioner with Beaver Medical Group in Redlands, serving as both Medical Director and Director of External Affairs. He specialized in the management of chronic complicated wounds and founded the nationally recognized Paul F. Bangasser Wound Care Center (dedicated to Ron's father in 2005) at Redlands Community Hospital in 1986.

Dr. Bangasser received his medical degree from Chicago Medical School, and interned at San Bernardino County Medical Center. He trained in hyperbaric oxygen research at St. Lukes Presbyterian Hospital in Milwaukee, WI, and at the Navy Diving Medical Officers' Training School.

For 28 years Dr. Bangasser was a key figure in the San Bernardino County Medical Society, California Medical Association and American Medical Association, serving as President of both the SBCMS and the CMA. He served as Speaker of the CMA House of Delegates, was Chair of the California Delegation to the AMA, Chair of CMA's Finance Committee and Vice Chair of CMA's Hospital Medical Staff Section. He was an AMA Delegate and member of the AMA Council on Medical Services.

As a leader in national healthcare, Dr. Bangasser worked to protect the interests of patients and physicians with diligence, writing and influencing legislation and legislators. He served on multiple national committees with leading political figures and met personally with President Bush and Governors Brown and Schwarzenegger.

The various committees on which Dr. Bangasser served are too numerous to mention. He was tireless and unrelenting when it came to his work and passion, often working a full day at the wound care center then dashing to Ontario to catch a plane to Washington D.C. or Sacramento only to return the next day to care for patients. His schedule left those who witnessed it exhausted and amazed.

During his career, Dr. Bangasser received numerous awards including the prestigious Nicholas P. Krikes, M.D. Award for Outstanding Contribution to SBCMS, the AMA Pride in the Professions Award, the CMA Young Physician's Joseph Boyle Young at Heart Award, the Riverside County Medical Association's Outstanding Contribution to Organized Medicine Award, the James C. MacLaggan M.D. Political Action Award and the Medical Board of California's Physician Humanitarian Award.

In addition to his role as medical leader, Dr. Bangasser was a great humanitarian. For 22 years Ron volunteered his time as the team physician for San Bernardino Valley College. He performed over 12,000 sport physicals and attended 110 football games. In 1999 the college presented him with their Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Bangasser worked diligently for the local United Way, previously serving as Chairman of the Professional Division of the United Way fundraising campaign. He was successful in obtaining record contributions from physicians in the area. At the wound center, Dr. Bangasser was a fierce patient advocate, touching the lives of both patients and family. He established a fund, out of his own pocket, for special shoes, ointments and other therapies for indigent patients. His donations of time and money to various multiple causes illustrated his compassion for the disadvantaged.

Ron's other passion was SCUBA diving, a love which he shared for decades with his wife Susan. Both expert divers, they taught many colleagues, friends, patients and citizens the joys of diving. Both he and Susan are nationally recognized for their contributions to diving, diving medicine and diving physiology. In addition, Ron served as an instructor for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department team responsible for retrieving boats, planes, people and bodies.

Dr. Bangasser is survived by his wife Susan, two daughters, Debbie Waxler and Sandi Bangasser, and his mother Florence Bangasser. As son, husband and father; as friend, colleague and mentor; as physician, leader and advocate; Ron will live on, guiding us along life's journey.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Ronald P. Bangasser, MD Medical Student Scholarship Fund, c/o the Physicians Memorial Gift & Benevolence Fund (PMGBF), Tax ID 33-0219397, 3993 Jurupa Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506.

Roger A. Smith, M.D.

1922 - 2007

The San Bernardino County Medical Society (SBCMS) lost one of its finest members when on February 19, 2007, Doctor Roger A. Smith passed away. SBCMS cherishes the memory of our colleague, pioneer neurosurgeon, consummate teacher and advisor.

Dr. Smith received his medical degree from Washington University, St. Louis and interned at Minneapolis General Hospital. He trained in neuroanatomy at the University of Minnesota and neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin and took his neurosurgical residency at the University of Illinois Hospitals.

Dr. Smith came to San Bernardino in 1953 to join Dr. Ned Estridge in practice, a remarkable professional partnership and friendship that lasted until the latter's death in September, 2003. Like all private physicians prior to Medicare and Medi-Cal, Dr. Smith served San Bernardino County Medical Center half time as a "dollar a year man" and then joined the hospital as the first full time neurosurgeon in 1977. Drs. Smith and Estridge encouraged St. Bernardine Medical Center to open the first area Neuro ICU in the early 1960s, and supported every developing modality in neurodiagnostics from the first nuclear gamma camera at St. Bernardine in 1972 and the Inland Empire's first CT Scanner in 1974, as well as MRI in the mid 1980s. After he left the County Hospital, he was Chief of Neurosurgery at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital and performed Workman's Compensation evaluations and occasional malpractice case evaluations.

Dr. Smith was an active member of SBCMS and served on the Golf and Tennis and Public Service committees. He was a past Chairman of the Historical, Medicolegal, and Member Services committees. Under his direction the Historical Committee established one of the finest small medical museums in the state and a sponsorship program to make the museum self sufficient. He reviewed claims and did utilization and peer review for the Foundation for Medical Care. Dr. Smith contributed historical articles to the SBCMS Bulletin and Southern California Physician magazines and authored "Portraits in History: The San Bernardino County Medical Center 1855 - 1998".

In 1990, the SBCMS honored Dr. Smith with the Outstanding Contribution to Medicine award for his contributions to our community in the field of neurosurgery, and in 1996, the prestigious Nicholas P. Krikes, M.D. Award for Outstanding Contribution to SBCMS for his years of dedicated service.

He is survived by his wife Elena; two daughters, Terry Rae and Candy Trick; two sons, Jerry Smith and Frank Smith; brother William Smith, 15 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

Ralph Kleinman, M.D.

1925 - 2007

Retired Upland family physician Ralph Kleinman, M.D. passed away Friday, February 16, 2007. He was a member of SBCMS and the California Medical Association for 48 years.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Kleinman received his medical degree in 1955 from Western Reserve University. He came to California for his internship at Los Angeles County General Hospital in San Antonio, Texas 1955-1958, and took a residency in General Surgery at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital 1956-1957. Dr. Kleinman was board certified by the American Board of Family Practice in 1969 and recertified in 1975 and 1982. He practiced at the West Covina Medical Center from 1957 to 1958 and was Instructor of Medicine at USC School of Medicine. He served on the medical staffs of San Antonio Community Hospital, Doctors Hospital, and Chino General Hospital.

Dr. Kleinman served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-46 and received a presidential citation. As a member of the SBCMS Historical Committee, Dr. Kleinman selected books for the library in the Southern California Medical Museum, which is named in his honor. He wrote articles for the Bulletin, notably profiles of west end physicians and letters from Ireland, where, in retirement, he spent the warmer months of the year. He also organized a tour of Ireland in 1985 for members of the medical society. An avid collector, Dr. Kleinman was particularly found of U.S. stamps and cachets as well as Zuni Indian bolo ties.

Survivors include his wife, Agatha, of Upland; two sons, Randall and Russell; and daughters Karen and Kris.

Bernard Tilton, M.D.

1923 - 2007

Loma Linda physician Bernard Tilton, M.D. passed away on January 12, 2007. He was a member of SBCMS and the California Medical Association for 35 years. He was also a member of the AMA and CALPAC.

Born in Hanford, California, Dr. Tilton received his medical degree from Loma Linda University in 1948. He took his internship at Los Angeles County General Hospital. He served in the U.S. Army from 1944-45, was a general practitioner in Rockwell, North Carolina for two years, and served a second tour of Army duty. Following discharge in 1953, Dr. Tilton returned to Loma Linda University as a professor of pharmacology, a position he then held for over 30 years. He retired from active practice in December, 1997.

Dr. Tilton was preceded in death by his wife, Betty. Survivors include son David and daughters Joy and Julie, and four grandchildren.