Richard J. Dick Cummings, MD

Richard J. Cummings, MD, passed away December 21, 2019. Richard was born November 18, 1932, to Mary and John Cummings in Topeka, Kansas. He was raised in the small town of Blaine, Kansas where he attended school and was taught by Benedictine nuns. During his boyhood years, he helped in the family grocery store and worked on the farm. He hunted quail and rabbits. He also participated in 4-H with his brothers. During high school, Richard’s main interest was sports. He attended the University of Kansas on a scholarship. He was accepted into medical school and graduated in 1957. While attending college and medical school, he began dating and married the love of his life, Laura Herring Cummings on February 4, 1956. Together Richard and Laura raised a daughter and three sons. Despite all his accomplishments, family always came first for Richard. He maintained close contact with all his children, siblings, relatives, and friends. He showered them with his love, generosity, and support throughout his life. Following his internship in Ogden, Utah, Dr. Cummings started his first job as a doctor with the U.S. Public Health Service in New York City. It was during this time, while working as a quarantine officer, that he took up the game of golf which would provide countless hours of pleasure for the rest of his life. He later took up residency in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where he received his ENT specialty training. Upon completion, he worked for a short time in Colorado Springs, Colorado before moving back to Kansas to establish his career in Wichita. During the first few years of his career, Dr. Cummings practiced Otolaryngology. After extensive training in France and California, he decided to limit his practice to Otology in 1970 becoming the first Otologist in Kansas. He performed over 25,000 ontological surgeries, many of which were the first performed in Kansas, including cochlea implant surgery (a procedure which returns hearing to the totally deaf). Dr. Cummings authored numerous medical papers and made regular appearances on radio and television shows. He was an active member of many organizations including the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the Centurion Club (Kansas chairman, 1989-96), the Otosclerosis Study Club, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, the American Medical Golf Association (board member, 1981-95), the Hearing Conservation Association, and the Pan American Society of Otolaryngology. He was a founding member of the Cochlear Implant Study Club. He succeeded as president for numerous organizations including the Wichita Surgical Society, Kansas Ear, Nose and Throat Society, St. Joseph-Via Christi Hospital, St. Francis Via Christi Hospital, and Sedgwick County Medical Society. When Dr. Cummings wasn’t practicing medicine, he was playing golf. Richard described himself as a golf “addict.” He won many amateur events over the years locally and worldwide including the Rotary International golf championship in Puerto Rico in 1981. Richard also took great pride in his extensive golf memorabilia collection. After his retirement from medicine, Richard oversaw a farm and ranch operation in northeast Kansas. He found the farm chores to be extremely relaxing. Richard has volunteered for numerous organizations including the University of Kansas and Newman University. For the University of Kansas, he served as chairman of the National Alumni Association (1995-96), was on the board of directors for 15 years, served on the Athletic Board, and received the Ellsworth Medallion in 1998. For Newman University he was an active Newman University Friend, served on the board for several years and received an Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree from Newman in 2000. Other committees Richard served on included the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired, and the Rotary International Fellowship Committee. Richard was very involved with the Catholic Church as a member of the Knights of Columbus, Serra Club, and the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center. Richard was preceded in death by granddaughter, Lucy Cummings. He is survived by his wife, Laura; his daughter, Anne of Blaine, Kansas; his sons, John of Lawrence, Kansas, William (Nika) of Wichita, Kansas, and Thomas (Lisa) of Shawnee, Kansas; grandchildren, Sally (Kendal) Sinn, Ellen (Ryan) Hafer, Frank (Katie), Madeline, Elizabeth (Danny) Peete, Joseph, John, Brian, Christopher, Elena, William, George, and Julia; great-grandchildren, Kenneth, Georgianna, Sebastian, Joann, and Simon. Rosary will be at 6:30 pm, Friday, December 27, 2019; Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am, Saturday, December 28, 2019, both at Church of the Magdalen Catholic Church, 12626 E. 21st St. N., Wichita, KS 67206. Interment will follow at Ascension Cemetery, 7200 E. 45th St. N., Bel Aire, KS. Donations in Richard’s memory may be made to Priests Retirement & Education Fund c/o Catholic Diocese of Wichita, 424 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202. Services in care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.