“In Matters of Importance, It’s Style that Counts”
Mary Retzer, M.D. '65
Dr. Retzer will be providing the first Dimensions seminar of the 2005-2006 school year on Thursday, October 13th in Hedges Conference Room.
Biosketch
Mary Retzer was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, and raised in the (very) small town of Early, Iowa. Her father was the local newspaper publisher and editor. After receiving her B.A. from Cornell in 1965, she decided to pursue medicine at the University of Iowa where she received her M.D. degree in 1969. She continued at Iowa and completed an internship in medicine.
After practicing general adult medicine for two years in San Francisco, Dr. Retzer completed her internal medicine residency and hematology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine affiliated hospitals in Houston, Texas. She then completed an oncology fellowship at the University of California, Davis College of Medicine in Sacramento, California.
From 1976-1989, Dr. Retzer had a private practice in hematology/oncology in Sacramento and was a clinical instructor at the University of California, Davis. She held memberships in the American College of Physicians, American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the California Medical Society. She was also on the board of the American Cancer Society. During this time, Dr. Retzer started the hospice movement in Sacramento and was the Medical Director of The Mercy Hospice from its inception in 1977 until 1992.
After taking a few years off to be full-time mother and conduct writing workshops and great book discussions at the local elementary schools in Davis, Dr. Retzer returned to medicine as Chief Medical Consultant for the Licensing and Certification Program of the Department of Health Services for the State of California.
Dr. Retzer and her husband are founding members of the Chautauqua Guild of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and were active members of the Steering Committee of the Performing Arts Center at the University of California, Davis. They were also founders of the Davis Educational Foundation and the Retzer Foundation. Additionally, they were very involved in their church, and Dr. Retzer was on the Board of Elders of the Presbyterian Church in Sacramento and teacher of a four-year course, Education for Ministry, in the Episcopal Church in Davis.
Two years ago, Dr. Retzer retired and now lives with her husband on the Redwood Coast of Northern California. The Sea Ranch provides a vibrant arts community. Her other interests include amateur astronomy, creative writing, hiking, traveling, and participation in the local book clubs. She volunteers with the local church food bank and other local volunteer activities. The Retzers’ daughter, Kate, recently graduated from a small liberal arts college in California and is planning to attend seminary in order to become a church pastor.
