Richard Montgomery Deaner ’54

Richard Montgomery Deaner ’54, M.D., passed away on April 8 in Dana Point, California. Dick came to Dartmouth from Fall River, Massachusetts, where he attended Durfee High School. At Dartmouth he was a chemistry-zoology major. After graduation he attended Tufts Medical School, receiving his M.D. in 1958, then doing an internship at Mary Hitchcock Hospital. In 1959 Dick joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a medical officer at a Marine Corps helicopter training base. From 1961 to 1965 Dick did a residency in surgery at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia. He became board certified as a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon. He then served as a ship surgeon on the USS Oriskany. Dick served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Dick achieved the rank of captain in the Navy, serving for 20 years. He was chief of surgery at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, California, and was an associate professor of surgery at UC San Francisco. After retiring from the Navy he continued his medical practice in Bakersfield, California, and served on the board of Mercy Hospital until he retired in 1998. Dick is survived by his wife, Beverly, and children, Ross, Karen and Bruce.