Ricardo P. Alzadon

Dr. Ricardo Peña Alzadon of West Orange, New Jersey passed away peacefully on January 10, 2023, in Paintsville, Kentucky, at the age of 82. He is survived by his loving family: Fe V. Alzadon and Norma Dy; his children Wes, Freida, Cesar, Marika (husband, Sam Cole), Jorge (wife, Theresa), Tina, Brenda (husband Rob Kunzweiler), and Rula (husband, Ben Moor); and his grandchildren: Amanda, Alex, Benjamin, Ava, Charlie, Jeffrey, Jacob, Jack, Henry, Zachary, Vivian, Sofia, Elliot, Phoebe, and Joaquin. He was preceded in death by his two children Farina and Rico.

Dr. Ricardo was born in the Philippines on August 11, 1940, to Dorotea (Peña) and Wenceslao Alzadon. Dr. Ricardo grew up in Capas, Tarlac with his older brother, Wenceslao, Jr. (Jun), and his two older sisters, Luzvismin (Luz) and Evangelina (Vangie). He lost his father during WW II when he was just 2 or 3 years old. Their family owned a restaurant, and he was essentially raised by his mother and his grandmother, Catalina, who encouraged the young, precocious Ricardo to set his sights beyond their small, provincial town. Handsome, smart, and charismatic, young Ricardo or Carding as he was known, enjoyed success in the classroom and the attention of many young girls in town. But his grandmother believed he was destined for bigger things. She told him to be a doctor and move to America. After graduating valedictorian of his high school class from Santo Nicolas Academy, he went to Manila to study medicine at the University of Santo Tomas and completed his residency in General Surgery in 1970. Sadly, his grandmother did not live long enough to see him fulfill his dream, but her passing fueled Ricardo’s ambition and drive.

He did not have to wait long to come to America. A shortage of doctors in the ‘70s forced the U.S. government to recruit doctors from overseas. Under the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), Ricardo was recruited and sponsored by Mercy Catholic Medical Center and Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA where he worked from 1970-1974. With his sponsorship set to expire, Rick, as he is now known, sought opportunities elsewhere and was accepted to continue his surgical training and specialize in thoracic surgery at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in New Jersey. He served there for many years until becoming Director of its Emergency Department in 1997. In addition, he was also an attending in General Surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital and was Director of Surgical Sub-Specialty at Irvington General Hospital and an Associate Attending in Thoracic and General Surgery at Columbus Hospital until 2008. He was a talented surgeon with an incredible work ethic who never lost sight of his patients’ needs. He was perhaps best remembered for his passionate and larger-than-life personality which endeared him not only to his patients, but to his colleagues and hospital staff who looked forward to his lively annual staff parties.

To his own family, Rick was a loving and devoted father who prioritized the education of his eight children and who taught them the value of family. His love of life, of food, and impressive culinary skills put him at the center of many family gatherings — gatherings full of song, music, sometimes dancing, but always a full stomach and an appreciation of togetherness.

After retirement from surgery in 2018, Rick continued his good work with patients dealing with substance abuse as the honorary medical consultant at the Kentucky Addiction Center with his eldest son Wes, prior to his illness and his final days.

“On every nook and corner of this institution, we leave an indelible mark that we’ve been here, educated and have gotten wiser.”

--Ricardo Alzadon

(From his high school valedictorian speech)