Dr. Ronald Carl Pinson

Dr. Ronald Carl Pinson passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 4, 2025, in Peoria, Arizona. He lived an extraordinary life and will be dearly missed by family and friends.

Ron was born on April 4, 1943, in Charleston, West Virginia. He was the firstborn son of Carl and Juanita Pinson. He grew up in Kettering, Ohio, with his two younger brothers, John and David.

After graduating from high school, Ron attended Bob Jones University, becoming the first person in his family to attend college. Ron studied to be a minister, majoring in Biblical Studies. It was at Bob Jones, while on a missionary trip to Scotland, that Ron met Katherine Hoggatt. Two years later, in 1966, they were married in Katherine‘s hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado.

After graduating from Bob Jones, Ron felt a calling to practice medicine. He was accepted into the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University. Ron and Katherine moved to Columbus in 1967. In medical school, Ron was drawn to the surgical specialties. After graduating in 1971, he accepted a position in the general surgery residency at Ohio State. After two years, he changed course and took a position in the orthopedic surgery program. Dr. Pinson finished residency in 1977 and was “gently“ persuaded by Katherine to give up the cold, gray Ohio winters for the bright sunshine of Western Colorado.

Ron and Katherine, along with their three young boys, Greg, Matt, and Peter, moved to Grand Junction in the summer of 1977. Christopher would arrive shortly after the family had moved. Ron joined Rocky Mountain Orthopedics and began his practice at Saint Mary’s Hospital. He would spend the next 24 years caring for thousands of patients. He built a reputation as both a gifted technical surgeon and a compassionate healer. He had a truly comprehensive orthopedic practice, from hand surgery, trauma, and spine stabilization, to joint replacement and sports medicine. He did it all.

In addition to the countless lives he touched through his work, he always made time to be a devoted father to four boys. He taught us to ski and to fly fish. He took us camping and hiking and instilled in all of us a love for the outdoors. He made time in his busy schedule to play catch in the backyard and to (almost) never miss any of our hundreds of baseball, basketball, and football games. He was supportive, but never overbearing. He allowed us the opportunity to take chances. He led by example, showing us the value of hard work and the importance of education. He gave us the freedom to fail, but was always there to lend a hand when we did. He celebrated our triumphs and supported us in defeat.

Ron was a man of passion. He never did things partway. A friend got him into jogging, and he went on to finish multiple marathons. He took up skiing as an adult and, after a few years, became an expert skier, joining the ski patrol at Powderhorn. Another friend showed him how to fly fish. It wasn’t long before he was tying his own flies and building his own fly rods. He was an avid golfer and, at times, was able to get his handicap into the single digits. For nearly 20 years, he organized and led yearly fishing trips to northern Saskatchewan.

Perhaps nothing demonstrated his passion more than the direction his life took after retiring from orthopedic surgery in 2001. He moved to Denver and was accepted into the PhD program in Philosophy and Religion at the Iliff School of Theology at the University of Denver. He ultimately completed his master's degree in philosophy and taught some undergraduate seminars. Ron loved the world of ideas and spent many evenings in heated social and political debates with friends and family.

For the last 13 years, Ron and Katherine have split time between Colorado and Arizona.

Ron Pinson truly lived the American dream. He was brilliant, funny, stubborn, and lived his life to the fullest. He was a devoted father and husband, a skilled surgeon and a scholar. He had a great sense of humor and was blessed with many close friends.

He is survived by his wife, Katherine, his brothers, John and David, his sons, Greg, Matt, Peter, and Christopher, and numerous grandchildren.