Vernon Standish, MD

The long and eventful life of Vernon DeWitt Standish, MD came to a close on June 14, 2020. Born on June 23, 1924 in Albany Oregon to Frank and Mary Standish, young Vernon showed early on a hunger for learning and a capacity to absorb any topic. As WWII was raging, he crossed the country to attend medical school in Buffalo, NY. There he met his love, his life's companion, his “Everyone”, Joan Rodems. Joan's mother, Frances, also immediately loved Vernon and saw it as her duty to fatten up the young soldier. Upon graduation, Vernon began searching for a place to intern. Butte, Montana was the only city paying interns, so the hopeful young couple headed west. After internship, Vernon served as ship doctor transporting troops back from Japan. Joan and baby Mary waited in Seattle for the occasional docking from their doc. From military service, the couple returned to Montana, a place they had grown to love. Vernon practiced in Sheridan, MT and eventually settled in Big Timber, MT where he served for 37 years. Vernon pursued his interest in flying in Big Timber and often flew to treat patients too far from town and transported critical patients to Billings. He was known for speed both in the air and in a car. A Beechcraft and a Cessna kept him aloft whenever the demands of the practice would allow. Operating a ham radio, capturing television signals from microwave towers, wiring a bedside heart monitor through the phone lines were some of the ways Vernon put his interest in electronics to use. Vernon's sense of humor was sharp and subtly quiet. Many of his friends were victims of his playful humor. Vernon also was quiet about his many acts of generosity in the community. Stumbling upon a receipt, it was discovered that he regularly sent boxes of chocolates to elderly widows on Valentine's Day. During life in Big Timber, Vernon delivered six of his seven children at the local hospital. As the children grew, Vernon and Joan took the family on many camping trips, hikes, and excursions in the backcountry of Montana in his 9 passenger safari style Land Rover. A cabin on the Boulder River became a refuge for Vernon as the demands of being the only doctor in town became more pressing. In 1973, Vernon took a position as emergency room physician at St. Vincent's hospital in Billings. In the Billings community, Vernon took instruction and joined the Roman Catholic church. His mother-in-law was delighted that her lifetime of prayers had finally worked. Vernon took an active role in supporting Gonzaga University's extended learning program in Billings. In his later years, Vernon became caregiver for Joan as her health deteriorated. After Joan's death, Vernon lived with his son and daughter-in-law, David and Julia Standish, who cared for him until his death. Vernon is survived by four sons: John, James, David and Mark and three daughters: Mary Seltzer, Elizabeth Ulmen and Jane Medin. He leaves behind 20 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren. He now joins his Everyone.