Rodger Francis Oursler

Anesthesiologist, husband, father, and man of faith

Dr. Rodger Francis Oursler, an anesthesiologist and medical leader whose Catholic faith and scientific intellect shaped a life of service to patients, family, and friends, died peacefully on October 16, 2026, following a 22-month battle with kidney cancer. He faced his illness without complaint or fear, sustained by his faith and the love of those around him.

He and his wife, Susanna “Susie” Rich Oursler, celebrated 38 years of marriage in June.

From a young age, Rodger felt called to serve others. He considered becoming a priest but came to recognize his vocation as a physician and, most importantly, a father. In both, he found his life’s purpose.

Raised in Baltimore County, he possessed an exceptional mind and a lifelong appetite for learning. By 17, he knew he wanted to practice medicine. He graduated from Loyola-Blakefield High School in 1981 and became the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Dickinson College in 1985. He received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1991, working tirelessly to pay for his education and accepting its sacrifices without complaint.

Rodger volunteered at Shock Trauma in Baltimore and considered a career in neurosurgery. He ultimately chose anesthesiology, drawn to what he saw as the artistry of its chemistry and the opportunity to heal and relieve suffering.

He began his residency training at Georgetown, training in surgery from 1991 to 1993 and anesthesiology from 1994 to 1996. His career subsequently took him to Fallston Hospital, where he practiced anesthesiology before joining the founding medical team at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air when it opened in 2000. He went on to serve as its longtime Chief of Anesthesia.

From January 1999 through December 2013, he served as chairman and a founding partner of Northern Chesapeake Anesthesia Associates. In January 2014, he became a facility medical director with TeamHealth, also serving as Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. His professional recognition included selection among Baltimore magazine’s “Top Doctors” in 2010.

Rodger was, above all, a healer. He dedicated his life to others’ well-being, offering knowledge, compassion, and a steady presence inside and outside the hospital. As an anesthesiologist, he helped save lives, ease pain, and welcome new lives into the world. Medicine was not simply his profession; it was work he truly loved. He continued working throughout most of his illness, finding purpose in caring for patients even as he faced his own disease.

His children understood how rare that fulfillment was and were deeply proud of him. Growing up, many of their friends were unsure of what their fathers did for a living. Rodger’s children always knew and proudly shared that their dad was an anesthesiologist—even if some of them, they still joke, never quite learned to spell or pronounce it.

He met Susie at a fraternity party during their first weekend at Dickinson College. They married on June 11, 1988, beginning a partnership grounded in love, faith, and shared sacrifice. Despite the demands of his medical studies and her long hours as a managing nurse at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., they eagerly began their family, welcoming their first child, Kerry, in 1991.

Together, they built a home filled with love, learning, debate, dry humor, and enduring traditions. Rodger considered his children’s education among the greatest gifts he could give them and worked generously to provide it. He passed on his curiosity, respect for knowledge, and belief that worthwhile things deserve effort. His devotion to Susie and their four children remained at the center of his life.

His faith was evident in everyday decisions. His family recalls that when the “Miracle on Ice” hockey game offered an excuse to miss church, Rodger alone chose to accompany his mother to Mass. As a father, he made Sunday Mass a constant, whether his daughters still had wet hair or sporting events awaited later that day. The family particularly cherished the Easter Vigil and midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

At St. Mary of the Assumption in Pylesville, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, served as a Parish Corporator, attended the parish’s early Saturday morning “Man Hour”, and was a lector for many years. He and Susie also participated in a couples group through the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, making faith a shared part of their marriage and friendships.

His deep knowledge of Catholic teaching and tradition complemented his interest in science. Fascinated by everything from human anatomy to the farthest reaches of space, he saw no conflict between scientific discovery and belief. He told his children that the more he learned about creation’s complexity and beauty, the stronger his faith in God became.

A proud, lifelong “nerd,” Rodger retained his childhood sense of wonder. While his siblings bought candy after church, he chose comic books. They remember him always with a book in hand, especially science fiction. In high school, he wrote to NASA and was delighted to receive a large packet of information about the Space Shuttle program, formally known as the Space Transportation System. Reading, collecting comic books, playing video games, and following scientific discoveries remained lifelong pleasures.

His children treasure the traditions that gave them time with their father. Rodger and his brothers held Ravens season tickets beginning with the opening of what is now M&T Bank Stadium in 1998. His children took turns accompanying him to games, where they could choose whatever they wanted to eat and drink, especially hot chocolate in winter.

At home, crab feasts came with instructions befitting a native Marylander: crabs were expensive, and proper picking was expected. He could spend three or four hours eating a dozen crabs, leaving scarcely a morsel behind, and approached oysters with the same dedication. At Disney World, he urged his children onto the rides they feared most; many became their favorites.

Rodger loved Thanksgiving and Christmas, particularly the chance to eat his weight in mashed potatoes at a crowded table. His travels took him repeatedly to Jamaica, as well as to Thailand, China, Italy, France, and Mexico. He eagerly tried the spiciest and most unfamiliar local dishes. In Jamaica, breakfast meant ackee and saltfish. Other favorites included shellfish—the messier, the better—potatoes in any form, gin and tonics, Negronis, Red Stripe beer, and seemingly endless pots of coffee.

He took pride in the backyard garden he tilled himself, growing melons, corn, tomatoes, and peppers. Later, he cultivated herbs, jalapeños, and several varieties of tomatoes on his deck. In his sixties, he began growing orchids, bringing the same patience and curiosity to their care.

Animals seemed drawn to him, earning him the nickname “Snow White.” Cats, dogs, and birds settled near him, indoors and out. His phone sounded with reminders for their daily routines, including a special alarm for “cookie time,” when his beloved Springer Spaniel, Poe, received his treat.

His care for others never ended at the hospital doors. He tended the wounds of neighborhood children, cared for his family through illnesses and injuries, and repeatedly stopped to provide emergency aid at roadside accidents. When a daughter became severely dehydrated, he hung an IV bag from her headboard. Even as adults, his children called home for medical reassurance, usually receiving his familiar assessment that they were going to be just fine. His knowledge brought comfort, as did his steadiness and the certainty that he would be there.

In the days following his death, friends have returned to one description: he was “one of the good ones.” His family remembers a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend whose brilliant mind was matched by a loving heart. His legacy lives on in the people he healed, the family he nurtured, and the faith and love he shared.

In addition to his wife, survivors include his children, Kerry Oursler Kleckner and her husband, Donald; Emily Oursler Vieth and her husband, William; Thomas Rodger Oursler; and Elizabeth “Betsy” Oursler; his grandson, Donald “Street” Kleckner; and his siblings, Christopher Oursler, Mark Oursler, Barry Oursler, and Ann-Marie Pezzulla.

Visitation and Funeral Services

Relatives and friends are invited to gather at Schimunek Funeral Home, Inc., 610 W. MacPhail Road, Bel Air, MD 21014, on Friday, October 30, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at noon at St. Mary of the Assumption, 1021 St. Mary’s Road, Pylesville, MD 21132. Interment will follow in the church cemetery with a light luncheon to follow in the Church hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Rodger’s memory to support Cancer LifeNet at the Kaufman Cancer Center through the UM Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation. Checks should be payable to the Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation, with a notation that the gift is in memory of Rodger, and mailed to 520 Upper Chesapeake Drive, Suite 405, Bel Air, MD 21014. Contributions may also be made online at umuch.org/flowers.