Dr. Richard George Kettelkamp, 81 years old, passed away on December 15, 2012 in Astoria, OR. Dick was born on October 12, 1931 to Dr. Enoch and Elsie Kettelkamp of Monona, Iowa. He was the second of four children.

Dick was raised in the small, northeastern Iowa town of Monona where his father was the local doctor. Much of his childhood revolved around his love for animals, especially the family’s horses and ponies. He attended Monona Public Schools and graduated from Monona High School in 1949. While in high school he wrestled and played the baritone horn in the band. Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa was his next stop. He was a biology major and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Under a combined course arrangement with University of Iowa Medical School he entered medical school after three years of undergraduate work in pre-med. After completing his first year of medical school he was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell College. He graduated with his Doctorate in Medicine in 1956. His summers during school were spent working for the national fire service as a fire lookout on Waldo Mountain in Oregon and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

His medical internship year brought him back to Oregon where he worked at Emanuel Hospital in Portland. It was at Emanuel that he met his future wife, Mary Hubbard, who was a pharmacist at the hospital. They were married June 7, 1958 in Portland. Shortly after that it was off to Montgomery, Alabama for US Air Force Officer Training. Dick was commissioned as a captain and was assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. He was honorably discharged after two years to return to Monona to work in his father’s medical practice while his father recovered from an illness.

Missing the west coast, Dick flew out to Oregon for ajob interview with the Astoria Clinic in Astoria, OR. It was his first visit to Astoria and it was a perfect day in May, all the rhododendrons were in bloom, everything was lush and green, the sun was shining and the job was just what he was looking for, so his decision was easy. Astoria was to become their permanent home in 1961.

Dick loved the type of medicine a small town provided. He saw it all and then some in his general practice. In over 40 years in medicine he never had an unlisted phone number or an answering service. His patients knew they could call him at home no matter how big or small their concerns were. Delivering babies probably brought him the greatest joy of his practice. For many years he was known as the “baby doctor” delivering hundreds of babies, including twins and even a set of triplets. He loved watching these babies as they grew up and then often delivered their babies. He took an interest in his patients’ lives, cared about their families and enjoyed seeing them just as much around town as he did in his office. Nurses and others that worked with him were considered invaluable to him and even after his retirement he could be found with a cup of coffee in hand walking around the hospital visiting and catching up with his former coworkers.

When Dick wasn’t working he could be found at his property out in Youngs River with his beloved horses. Along with sharing his father’s interest in medicine Dick also shared his father’s great love of horses. He actively showed his favorite Arabian stallion in local and regional horse shows while supporting his daughters’ riding endeavors. He taught all three of his daughters to ride and also was able to enjoy watching his granddaughters ride. Some of his other hobbies were painting, drawing, carving birds, gardening, baking and genealogy.

Dick is survived by his cherished wife of 54 years, Mary and his three beloved daughters and their husbands, Nancy and Mike Kerlee, Bothell, WA, Kathy and Jeff Carlson, Astoria, OR and Ann and Tom Conway, Lernont, IL. As the grandchildren arrived he was destined to be surrounded by girls as one granddaughter followed another. He adored his granddaughters Sydney and Emily Carlson, Jessica Kerlee and Hope, Evelyn and Lucy Conway. He is also survived by two brothers and a sister, Dr. Donald Kettelkamp, Chapel Hill, NC, Dr. William Kettelkamp, Marion, IA and Mary Shepherd of Chandler, Arizona and numerous nieces and nephews.

He will be remembered by his community as a kind, gentle and humble man who was the epitome of the old fashioned, small town doctor and by his family as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Remembrances can be made in his memory to Lower Columbia Hospice, Bethany Free Lutheran Church and Clatsop Retirement Village.

A Celebration of Life for Dr. Kettelkamp will be held on January 12, 2013 at 1pm at Bethany Free Lutheran Church, 451 34th St., Astoria, Oregon.