Dr. Bruce Ochsner

Dr. Bruce B. Ochsner, ophthalmologist, passed away on April 11th, 2023. He practiced as an eye surgeon in Wichita from 1974 to 2017. Dr. Ochsner was a Kansas native, born in 1939 and raised on his family’s wheat farm in Goodland, Kansas. He was the fifth of six children, and the expectation was that one day he would join his father in farming. During his formative teenage years, he played football and placed first in the state’s wrestling championship. After high school, Bruce attended Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. His first couple of years were filled with more fun than study. Many times, he recounted stories of his pranks: throwing cherry bombs off of Old Main; placing a horse in the girls’ dorm; and creating explosives in the chemistry lab. He also continued playing football for Bethany. In 1958, between his sophomore and junior years, he was sitting in a combine harvesting wheat. In an overheated cab, he ruminated on the movie that he had recently watched, South Pacific. At that moment, he had the epiphany that he wanted to be a doctor. He returned to Bethany with a new goal in mind: working hard for better grades to get into KU Medical School. Bruce graduated in 1961 with a degree in chemistry and was accepted into KU Medical School. While attending, he met the love of his life, June Ochsner (Owens), who was teaching in the Overland School District. They were married in June 1964. During the summer of his final year of medical school, Bruce decided to use June’s summer teaching check for flying lessons. He flew as much as possible, studied hard for the flight exam, and, only 24 days later, acquired his pilot’s license. Eventually, he would accomplish his instrument rating. He graduated with his M.D. in 1965. Following medical school, he interned at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he assisted in the delivery of his and June’s first child, Sjonna. It was here at St. Luke’s that a doctor suggested that Bruce consider ophthalmology as his specialty. This appealed to Bruce as it offered quality time with patients and the opportunity to do surgery. South Pacific not only inspired Bruce to become a doctor. It also inspired him to serve in the military. His first choice was to fly in the Air Force; however, his imperfect vision prevented him from being accepted. He was told he could honor his country well by serving on a nuclear submarine. Bruce and his family moved to Groton, Connecticut for training as a nuclear sub officer. Afterwards, he was thrilled to receive his orders to be stationed at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii. From Hawaii, Bruce was assigned to the USS Tecumseh, a nuclear submarine sailing out of Guam. During his multiple three-month tours, the submerged Tecumseh would only receive messages from the outside world once a month. The confined spaces, crushing depths, and rigorous schedule did not bother Bruce. In fact, he cherished his time underwater. He served as a Lieutenant and a Medical Officer; however, he interacted with the enlisted sailors on the sub, something uncommon at that time, and immersed himself into learning every role and nuance of the submarine. This resulted in him qualifying for his Dolphins, a special designation for those well acquainted with their ship and all of its procedures. While gaining the respect of the enlisted sailors, this gained the ire of his captain, who did not support his officers mingling with the common ranks. One day, the captain approached LT Ochsner with an impossible task. The oxygen in the sub was growing thin. Unfortunately, the ballast tanks were not emptying correctly, and carbon dioxide was increasing in the confined space. The lives of the 260 men aboard were in jeopardy. The only solution was to surface, which not only would compromise their position to the enemy - Soviet subs were a constant threat - but also compromise the future promotion of the captain. Bruce had a brilliant mind, and, using his chemistry background, patched together the means to scrub the breathable air and replace the oxygen without surfacing. The captain demanded to know how Bruce accomplished this. Bruce wrote the report, slammed it on the captain’s desk, and turned on his heel without a word from the captain. Later on, that report fell under a CLASSIFIED designation, and even Bruce was not able to go back and see how he actually saved the ship’s location and the captain’s career. After making three patrols at Pearl Harbor and working three-month shifts at the naval hospital, the family left Hawaii on the grand ship, The Lurline, and headed to the west coast. They ended up in Detroit, Michigan where Bruce did his ophthalmologic residency at the Kresge Eye Clinic. It is there that their son, Lance, was born. But the call of the Pacific was strong, and the growing family returned to Oahu where Bruce practiced with the Honolulu Medical Group for two years. Soon, Bruce realized that the price of sunshine and pineapples was too high to support a family. He needed more. While watching TV one night, he was surprised to see one of his best friends, George Potts, talking on the news about Wichita. Bruce, an idea brewing, picked up the phone and called George. Bruce had promised he would never return to Kansas, but after a little digging by George, he discovered that there was the opportunity for a new ophthalmologist to practice in Wichita. Bruce moved his family to Wichita in 1974 and began a practice that would grow throughout his life. In 1986, he built the first ambulatory eye surgical center in Wichita. While most of his surgeries dealt with cataracts, he also was seeing a fair share of corneal transplants. At that time, the corneas needed to be flown in from other locations. This inspired Bruce to begin the Kansas Eye Bank to make corneas accessible to those in need. Among his many certificates and accomplishments, he was a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, and the International College of Surgeons. Dr. Ochsner devoted his life to helping others see, and, with his “old-fashioned doctor” sensibilities, would not hesitate to make house calls in the country or work outside of his normal hours if there was someone who required help. Bruce gave glory to God for his practice, and prayed for each of his patients that they would be blessed with the best results. Over the years, he witnessed many miracles that he attributed to the power of God. He sincerely adored the time with his patients, always saying, “They are the cream of the crop.” This adoration extended to his staff. He treated them as if they were his family. He regularly invited his staff and their spouses to local fishing trips, office parties, international vacations, and medical missions around the world, including going to several Central American countries and even India with Dr. Gene Carlson and his wife Janet from Pathway Church. Dr. Ochsner and his staff held missions not only overseas, but also here in Kansas through his “in-state mission” weekends. After a roll-over tractor incident on March 24, 2017, Dr. Ochsner was unable to return to his practice. He experienced heavy heartbreak and deep regret for not being able to speak to his patients and fellow doctors about why he did not return. The loves of Bruce’s life were his wife, children, and grandchildren. His hobbies included flying his Bonanza, fishing, hunting, skiing, reading, and golfing with dear friends. Bruce and June also loved worshipping at Westlink Christian Church (Pathway). Bruce had a very generous heart and gave to all he met. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. His unique personality, including stories told during surgeries, will always be remembered. His family will miss him immensely but takes peace in knowing that Bruce is in the mighty hands of God. A memorial will take place on June 10, 2023, at 10:30 am at Pathway Church, 2001 N. Maize Rd., Wichita, KS 67212. Light refreshments to follow. Preceded in death by his parents, Edwin Fredrick and Catherine Ottilda Ochsner; sisters, Barbara (Clarence) Reib, Bethel (Laverne) Goltl. Survived by his wife, June Ochsner; daughter, Sjonna Ochsner; son, Lance (Kristen) Ochsner; grandchildren, Avery Ochsner, Malakai Ochsner; brothers, Brandt (Margy) Ochsner, Boyd (Joyce) Ochsner; sister, Bonnie (Ron) Thompson. A memorial has been established with: Kansas Eye Bank, Diabetic Research Foundation, or the Billy Graham Association. Services in care of Downing & Lahey Mortuary - West Chapel.