Billy Richard Goetzinger
EDMOND - Billy Richard Goetzinger of Oklahoma City passed away on May 19, 2023. Billy was born October 22, 1930 to Dora Mae and Joseph Arthur Goetzinger in Enid Oklahoma. He grew up in Enid, graduating from Enid High School in 1948. During high school, in addition to making excellent grades, Billy served in the Oklahoma National Guard and helped support his family by working at Davidson Case lumber yard, doing odd jobs as a handyman, and helping run his family’s fireworks stands. During high school, Bill also met Lois Jean Leabo—the two married on August 16, 1951. Before her death in 2020, Lois and Billy had celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary.
Billy attended Phillips University in Enid, graduating in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Medicine. In 1956, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine and obtained his medical license from the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Examiners. After graduation, Lois and Billy moved to Tulsa Oklahoma where he spent one year as an intern with Hillcrest Medical Center. Soon after, Billy joined the United States Air Force Reserve, first commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the Air Force’s Medical Corps and then promoted to Captain at the School of Aviation Medicine, Lowry Air Force Base in Denver Colorado. There, Billy served as a Medical Officer in Aviation Medicine.
In early 1959 and while stationed in Colorado, Lois and Billy welcomed their first child: Carla Jane. Later in 1959, Billy was released from active duty and the young family moved to Oklahoma City. Billy continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves as a Casualty Services Officer at Tinker Air Force Base. At that time, he also worked as a Resident in Anesthesiology at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine, assigned to the Veterans Administration Hospital.
In 1961, Lois and Billy’s second child, Layne Evan, was born. In 1962, Billy resigned from all USAF air appointments and was honorably discharged. From 1962 until he retired in 1992, Billy was in private practice in anesthesiology, primarily working at Saint Anthony Hospital. He was a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Inc. and the American Board of Anesthesiology. Billy also served on the Physicians Liability Insurance Company’s Board of Directors for 15 years, and in 1995 was awarded their
Award of Excellence. Billy was a well-respected, hard-working, compassionate doctor—loved by his patients, hospital staff, and fellow physicians.
To say Billy was a penny pincher would be an understatement. He often said that all he needed in life was enough money to “buy some minnows to go fishing.” Billy loved the simpler things in life: deer and bird hunting trips with friends and family; fishing (especially at Lake Eufaula where he lured fish to his favorite spots by sinking the many Christmas trees he took off the curbs from everyone on his block in Nichols Hills); fixing things and building things, his projects always requiring copious amounts of Dap; soup lunches with his buddies at Shartel Café; fried chicken and bologna and “slick” (Miracle Whip) sandwiches; and feeding every stray animal he could find to feed. It was a rare occasion that he wasn’t dressed in his signature denim work shirt and paint-stained pants (instead of the many nice outfits Lois always begged him to wear). And who could ever forget that wonderfully deep gravelly voice.
Best known as “Dr. Bill” to his friends and as “Papa” to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Billy was much loved and will be greatly missed. Billy is survived by his son Dr. Layne Goetzinger and his family: his wife, Kelli; his daughter Kennedy Eddleman and her wife, Brooke Eddleman; and his son Jackson Goetzinger. He is also survived by his daughter Carla Sharpe and her family: her husband G. Calvin Sharpe; their son Aaron Sharpe; and their daughter Anden Bull, her husband Brandon Bull, and their sons Hudson James and Hayes Bradley. Billy also leaves behind his sister-in-law Dorothy Little and a host of relatives and friends.
The family thanks the staff at Teal Ridge Assisted Living and Traditions Hospice for their loving care of Billy over the last three years, with a special thanks to Anna and Amber. And importantly, the family thanks Sandy Sitter, RN, BSN, with Traditions Hospice. Sandy has provided guidance and help to the family, as well as daily loving care of Dr. Bill over the past three years—not to mention helping take care of Dr. Bill’s beloved cat Arthur. Sandy—you are a blessing to our family.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in Billy’s honor to the St. Anthony Foundation, a nonprofit that supports patient care at St. Anthony Hospital. Donations can be made at givetosaints.com/donate/