American Orthopaedics lost one of its brightest lights on February 1, 2022 with the passing of Charles A. Rockwood, Jr., MD.

Born in Oklahoma City on September 19, 1929 to Charles A. and Dorothy Rockwood, he attended Classen High School and then Oklahoma City University for pre-med studies.  Ironically, the man who was to contribute so much to American medicine was not initially accepted into medical school, but after dedicating himself to graduate work in Norman for a year, he entered the University of Oklahoma Medical School and graduated in 1956.  He served a one-year internship at Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone, then returned to Oklahoma City to complete an Air Force-sponsored orthopaedic surgery residency under the tutelage of Dr. Don O'Donoghue, pioneer knee surgeon and one of the fathers of American Sports Medicine.  He then spent five years at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, and remained in the USAF reserve, eventually retiring as a Full Colonel.

In 1966, Dr. Rockwood was recruited as the third member of the surgical faculty at UT Health Science Center (now UT Health) in San Antonio and was ultimately tapped to be Chief of the Division of Orthopaedics.

His vision and commitment to education were instrumental in the publication of three major orthopaedic textbooks that are still used worldwide. He developed a reputation as one of the premier shoulder surgeons in the world, and his shoulder fellowship attracted applicants from many states and foreign countries.   He was also the major force in founding San Antonio's emergency care system or "EMS", establishing the curriculum that has trained hundreds of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

In the late 1980's, he worked with DePuy to develop a total shoulder replacement system and performed the first implantation of the Global Shoulder in the summer of 1990.  Within 1 year, the Global Total Shoulder system became the leading total shoulder arthroplasty system in the U.S and would become the world-wide market leader in shoulder arthroplasty systems. This was attributable to Dr. Rockwood's insistence of surgeon education and the many unique features of the Global system that are now commonly seen on most implants.

Dr. Rockwood is a past President of both the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and its fund-raising arm, the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation.  He was a founding member and later President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Society.   In 1996 his many accomplishments were recognized by his induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. He is an honorary fellow in the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, Scotland and was recipient of the American-British-Canadian Fellowship Award in 1967.

He was very proud to have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1945 and was later recognized as an "Outstanding Eagle Scout" by National Eagle Scout Association and "Distinguished Eagle Scout" by the Boy Scouts of America.   Five of his sons and two of his grandsons also became Eagle Scouts, and whenever an applicant to the Orthopaedic residency program listed on his application that he had been an Eagle Scout, that candidate jumped to the top of the rank list.

A devout Catholic, he was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church and later St. Luke's Catholic Church, involving himself in many Catholic charities and activities. He was an avid golfer, camper and outdoorsman and enjoyed playing golf at Oak Hills Country Club, and prioritized playing golf at notorious golf courses during his worldwide travels. His happiest moments, however, were at the annual Rockwood Family camping trip at the Frio River, a tradition they've enjoyed for over 50 years.

Dr. Rockwood was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 46 years, Patsy Flanagan Rockwood, as well as his eldest son, Charles A. Rockwood III. He is survived by his sister Regina Gallus; eight children and their spouses: Mark and Gaylyn Rockwood, Dr. Andrew and Melissa Rockwood, Steven and Teresa Rockwood, Peter and Stacey Rockwood, Paul Rockwood, Jeff and Amy Rockwood, David and Christy Rockwood, Brad and Virginia Rockwood Savage; 19 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and former wife Jane Yarbrough Rockwood.  Despite his many achievements, awards, and contributions to the field of orthopaedics, Charley always considered his family to be his major accomplishment and greatest blessing, and he was more proud of them than anything else in his life.

The Rockwood family is grateful to these caregivers for their tireless support: Laura Sosa Lopez, Letty Bonilla, Luis Delrosario, Martha Roballar, Christelle Vieux and Amalia Rodriguez, as well as his geriatrician, Dr. Michael Lichtenstein, for his service and many visits to the home.

MEMORIAL SERVICES

A Rosary will be recited on Thursday, February 24th at 1:30 P.M.

with a Memorial Mass to follow at 2:00 P.M.

at St Luke's Catholic Church, 4603 Manitou Drive, San Antonio, TX  78228.

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

If desired, contributions can be made to SAMMinistries,

1919 NW Loop 410 #100, San Antonio, Texas 78213

https://www.samm.org/