Dr. Dale Duane Kirkegaard

Dale Kirkegaard, a general surgeon who practiced in Fresno from 1957 to 1997, passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 88 on the morning of Christmas Eve due to complications of Alzheimer's Disease. His beloved wife, Patricia Ann Kirkegaard, was at his bedside.

On August 24 1926, Dale was born to a second-generation immigrant Danish farming family, the fifth of ten children. His parents, Dora and Philip, soon upgraded their sod house in Beresford, South Dakota to a wood-framed one in Sioux City, Iowa. The couple and two daughters slept in the house and the eight boys in the bunkhouse. On their multipurpose farm, Dale and his siblings were no strangers to hard work, developing ethics that served them and their families well throughout their lives.

Dale tasted his first store-bought ice cream and saw his first movie, "Wee Willy Winkie", on the same day at the age of 16. He appreciated small pleasures such as these throughout his life. After high school and a stint in the United States Navy during World War II, he followed his passion to become a physician by attending college at DePauw University and medical school at the University of Iowa, working to pay his tuition throughout. During his senior year in college he acquired a second passion, having met the lovely and sophisticated Patricia Wells.

In 1953 and 1954 he served as Captain and Chief Medical Officer in a field hospital on the front lines in Korea. Subsequently, Dale, Patricia and their baby son Lance lived in Kyoto, Japan, where Dale directed the U.S. Army hospital as Chief Medical Officer for two years. The family then returned to Iowa City, Iowa, where Dale completed his surgical residency and a daughter, Karla, was born. The young family moved to Fresno in 1957, where Dale began a long career in general surgery, 'saving lives and relieving suffering'. Characterized by extraordinary dedication and commitment to his patients, Dale's style of practice was definitely 'old school'. He still found the time, however, for family vacations, community service, ballroom dancing with Patricia and framing her beautiful paintings.

The family would like to thank Dr. Kirkegaard's physicians: internist and long-time family friend Dr. Norman Sigel and neurologists Dr. George Liu and Dr. Perminder Bhatia. Caregivers at St. Agnes Medical Center, San Joaquin Gardens and elsewhere, especially Wanda and Lisa Weldon, helped him to leave us gently.

His children, Lance and Karla, treasured his calm, upbeat nature and his shaggy-dog stories. He taught them myriad out of tune, half-invented songs that are now sung with gusto by his grandchildren and great-granddaughter. Fortunately, Patricia had a beautiful voice and artistic sense that added a different dimension.

Dr. Kirkegaard is survived by his beloved wife; his son, Lance Kirkegaard M.D. and his wife Lisa Wiggins; his daughter, Karla Kirkegaard Ph.D. and her husband Peter Sarnow Ph.D; his grandchildren, Sarah Shelley, Erin Kirkegaard M.D., Evan Kirkegaard and Lukas Sarnow; his great-granddaughter, Sabina Shelley; his brothers, Milo and Wayne Kirkegaard; his sister Faye Cobb; dozens of nieces and nephews and hundreds of grateful patients. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

A Funeral Service will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.