Rodney Davis Orth

Rod left this life on February 22, 2025 following a brief illness. Rod was born in Berkeley, California and spent his childhood years in Berkeley and Washington State (Olympia and Seattle). He attended Whitman College where he met the love of his life, Barbara Ostgren. Rod and Barbara married in 1952 and moved to Seattle where Rod went to medical school at the University of Washington. Following graduation, they moved to Nashville and then back to Seattle for the completion of Rod's medical training. Their two children, Catherine and Craig, were born during those years. 

In 1960, the family moved to San Diego where Rod joined Alvarado Medical Group. He practiced Internal Medicine with a subspecialty in endocrinology until his retirement in 1995. Following his retirement, Rod and Barbara enjoyed educational travel with Road Scholar, visiting Australia, New Zealand., and many countries in Europe. Rod was an avid sports fan and held season tickets to the Aztecs basketball games and Padres baseball. Rod also loved classical music, the arts, puzzles, math and science, ice cream, and animals (especially the family's Dalmatians and his Dachshund grand-dogs). Whenever he met someone with a dog he would always ask what side of the bed he or she slept on. 

Rod will be greatly missed by his many friends and family. He will be remembered for his thoughtfulness, compassion, generosity, curiosity, and sense of humor, and many other other wonderful qualities he retained even at the age of 95. He is survived by his daughter Catherine and granddaughter Carleigh, along with multiple extended family. His son Craig died in 2010 and his wife Barbara died in 2021 after 69 years of marriage. Arrangements for a Celebration of Life are pending.