Ralph Franklin Coleman

1933-2023
Ralph F. Coleman MD passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning of Wednesday April 19, 2023, at the age of 89, after battling pancreatic cancer. He was born on September 9, 1933, in a log cabin in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of Calhoun County, Alabama. Ralph entered the US Navy in March 1951 serving as a Hospital Corpsman second class, in addition to training as an X-ray technician. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in June 1954 and went on to graduate from Berea College in Kentucky in 1958. It was at Berea College that he met his wife Elizabeth (divorced 1975, deceased 2015). Together they both went on to complete Doctor of Medicine degrees at the University of Alabama. He had a most unusual and rewarding career in medicine, working in the fields of pathology, psychiatry, and emergency medicine in Southern California. It was his work in emergency medicine at Queen of Angels hospital in Los Angeles that eventually led Dr. Coleman to Houston. In 1976 he accepted the position of Director of Emergency Medicine at Alief General Hospital in Southwest Houston. Eventually he decided to open his own 24-hour emergency clinic in Southwest Houston which he ran for many years. His passion for emergency medicine led him to train many paramedics in the Houston area during that time. He also consulted for the Ocean Corporation Deep Sea Diving Program for nearly 37 years, during which time he made life-long friends and treated hundreds of divers. Over time, his emergency medicine clinic became a general family medical practice. He was beloved by his patients, and his love for helping others led him to continue practicing medicine at Wilcrest Medical Center into his last year of life, aided by his long-time friend and partner, Scott Siemens. He is survived by his three children (Vallerie, Vincent, and Darryl), their three spouses (Lorraine, Geri, and Viki) and four grandchildren (Kyle, Chandler, Parker, and Oliver). A visitation will be held on Friday, April 28 from 5:00 PM    8:00 PM.    A memorial service will be held at Unity Funeral Home, 7730 Boone Road, Houston, TX, 77072 on Saturday April 29 th at 2 pm.

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