Ozer Algan

Dr. Özer Algan was born the son of Mithat Algan and Nurgün Kaya Algan on April 12th, 1968, in Istanbul, Turkey, and so began a life filled with joy, excitement and adventure. He was the youngest of three children, after his older brother Uğur and older sister Füsun. Özer’s taste for adventure was cultivated from an early age, as his family moved to the United States when he was just 1 year old. He lived in Wisconsin and Delaware until age 4, when his family returned to Turkey. Though she was 5 years older than him, Özer shared a special bond with his older sister Füsun, which lasted throughout his life. One of their most notorious adventures together in Istanbul involved a day when Özer was stuck at home sick. Füsun went to buy Özer some chocolate to cheer him up, but the Istanbul winds blew her money into the Bosporus. In her efforts to retrieve the money, Füsun herself fell into the Bosporus, though she eventually succeeded in retrieving the money and buying Özer some chocolate. When Füsun returned home, Özer was delighted at the sight of chocolate, but even more so at the sight of his soaking wet sister. They laughed and shared the chocolate, forming the memory of a great adventure which they shared for the rest of their lives.

When he was 10 years old, Özer embarked on what was one of his life’s most daunting adventures when his family permanently immigrated from Turkey to the United States. Özer’s intelligence and proclivity for academics were evident from this young age, when, much to the surprise of his elementary school teachers, he showed up for his first day of school in America in a full suit and tie. His teachers were, however, able to convince him that it would be ok to wear shorts and a T-shirt in the future. The family moved to Madison, Wisconsin when he was in high school and he graduated from Madison West High School. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for undergraduate where he graduated with a degree in molecular biology, and continued there to complete his degree in medicine. It was there that he met his future wife, Dr. Sheila Algan. After finishing their studies in Wisconsin, they completed their residencies together in Philadelphia, with Özer specializing in radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center where he completed his residency. He attended fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester Minnesota. Following fellowship, Dr. Algan began his career as a radiation oncologist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where the first of his two children, his son Erol, was born. Shortly after, the family moved to Grants Pass, Oregon, where Dr. Algan’s second child, Ceylan, was born. Three years later, they moved to their current home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Aside from taking him to every corner of the United States, and many foreign countries to do his work and participate in conferences, the essence of Dr. Algan’s work as a radiation oncologist commands respect and awe, for, as a doctor treating cancer, Dr. Algan saw people at their lowest and most vulnerable and helped them to rebuild. One of the great adventures of Dr. Algan’s life was helping his patients fight the greatest fight of their lives. He touched innumerable hearts and souls, saved innumerable lives, and made possible the ringing of the cancer bell for countless families. His research and tireless commitment to his life-saving profession live on in those whose adventures he helped to continue.

Though his life was one filled with adventures of many kinds, there were none more dear and close to his heart than the adventures Dr. Algan shared with his children. Dr. Algan’s unbreakable love for, and constant pride in his children began from their very first moments, including the undeniably proud moment when his son’s first word was “dada.” Try as Dr. Algan might have, their son only wanted to say “dada.” As his children grew, their adventures together only multiplied. From belly bumps and running races to celebrating birthdays, to pillow fights and boating outings, to backyard games of soccer, swimming and ping pong, Dr. Algan was the true embodiment of a father determined to have fun with his children and fill their lives with happiness. When Erol and Ceylan took to the soccer field, with his video camera ever poised to capture each goal, Dr. Algan was the #1 fan on every field. When his children took up the violin and viola, having seen their love for music, Dr. Algan was once again ready to capture every orchestra concert, contest performance and occasional family concert. When his children’s adventures saw them fly from the nest in Oklahoma City that they were raised in, Dr. Algan made their adventures his adventures, and never failed to find time to visit them at the universities in Indiana, Ohio, and even half the world away in Kazakhstan. Nothing brought Dr. Algan greater joy than seeing firsthand how his children blossomed and found their way in the world, and the pride he felt in them and their successes was eclipsed only by the love he felt for them as their kind and caring father. Dr. Algan’s adventures with his children, however, were not limited to the United States or academics. Dr. Algan and his children saw the world together, setting foot on all 7 continents and more than 30 countries. Along the way, Dr. Algan, with his passion for photography, captured every precious moment with his camera, leading to the accumulation of a massive collection of pictures documenting every travel adventure Dr. Algan and his kids had together. As they grew older, Erol and Ceylan also took an interest in photography, and this digital art became a precious bonding experience for the three of them, as Dr. Algan shared his knowledge and helped his children to learn anything they wanted to know about photography. Though they may have giggled to each other about the amount of pictures taken of them over the years, Erol, Ceylan and the rest of Dr. Algan’s family will be forever grateful for his efforts to document the lives they lived together and will treasure these countless pictures as cherished reminders of the memories they made and adventures they had together.

Dr. Algan tragically died on March 14th, 2025, from hyperglycemia as a result of Type 1 diabetes, which he fought valiantly for over 40 years. He is survived by his sister, Füsun, son, Erol, daughter, Ceylan, niece, Nur and nephew, Emre. If you wish to make a donation to honor Dr. Algan’s legacy, his family recommends the Stephenson Cancer Center of OU, the Audubon Society and the American Diabetes Association as causes that were of great importance to Dr. Algan.

It is with great sorrow and pain that we say goodbye to a talented doctor and loving father, but first and foremost, an exceptional human being, in Dr. Özer Algan. His kind and caring nature, contagious laughter and endless support of those around him will be eternally missed, but his spirit lives on in the journeys and adventures of those he loved and all who he crossed paths with during his lifetime.

A memorial service will be held at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Directors, 6600 Broadway Extension, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 11:30 am.