Irving Abraham Dr. Ratner

Born in Boston, he attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and then Tufts Medical School in Boston. He obtained his post-graduate training in Pediatric Surgery at the Boston Floating Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Orvar Swenson, a founder of the medical specialty. He first came to San Antonio during the Korean War, courtesy of the Air Force, to train as a flight surgeon.

After completing his tour of duty and his specialized medical training he returned to San Antonio in 1961 to establish himself as the first pediatric surgeon in the region. During the more than 45 years of his practice in San Antonio, he touched the lives of tens of thousands of young patients and their family members.

He served as both a teacher and role model to many physicians including his children and other relatives. He truly believed that his patients and their families came first and dedicated his life to their service and training others to do the same.

He trained many physicians, both civilian and military, and served as the Chief of Surgery at the Santa Rosa Children's Hospital for many years. He also practiced in the Baptist, Methodist and University Hospital systems and was a long-standing member of the Bexar County Medical Society. At the end of his life he was the oldest practicing pediatric surgeon in the U.S. and Canada.

He was devoted to his family and strongly supported their education. This included his wife Joan who obtained her Ph.D. in Microbiology. He was a private pilot and flew to underserved parts of Texas and Central America where he took care of patients and educated local physicians who did not have access to the level of medical care he could provide. He also enjoyed flying his family around the state, the country and the northern hemisphere on the relatively few vacations he allowed himself to take.

He is survived by Dr. Joan J. Ratner, his wife of 56 years; his sister, Sylvia R. Brown and her husband, Dr. Herbert P. Brown; his step-brother, Dr. Ralph Levitt and his wife, Betty; his son, Dr. Adam V. Ratner and his wife, Varda H. Ratner; his daughter, Dr. Emily F. Ratner and her husband, Stuart L. Klein; four grandchildren: Jack A. Ratner, Shayna M. Ratner, Madeline S. Klein, and Zachary J. Klein; as well as a litany of cousins from around the country and around the world.

A man of energy and passion, great wisdom and insight, love and impeccable integrity, he earned the great respect of those he touched. He lived on his terms: A healer and a teacher until the last moment of his life.