Eugene V. Bigelow

Born January 17, 1917 in Carrollton, Missouri. Died August 8, 2012 in Centennial, Colorado. Dr. Bigelow spent his career as an orthopedic surgeon - a decision inspired largely by injuries he saw as a Navy doctor during World War II. He was the son of Drs. Harry and Margaret Bigelow and graduated from Denver East High School in 1935. After graduating from CU in 1940, he enrolled in the University of Colorado, School of Medicine. He graduated in 1943 under an intensified wartime schedule and entered the U.S. Navy. From 1943 to mid-1946, he was based in Vallejo, California, and was deployed in the Pacific. While off duty, he met Alyce Martina Blim of Oakland, California. He returned to Denver in July 1946, and married Alyce in California on November, 17, 1946. Shortly after, he began a medical residency in orthopedic surgery at the Fort Logan Veterans Hospital. In 1948, they had twins, Christina and Kim. Dr. Bigelow completed his residency at the Nebraska Orthopedic Hospital in Lincoln in 1951. The family returned to Denver, where he joined the medical practice of Thomas & Hartshorn. Their third child, Bruce, was born in 1955. Dr. Bigelow spent more than four decades in private practice in Denver, with staff privileges at Mercy and many other hospitals. He traveled extensively with Alyce until her death on Feb. 7, 2002. Even after retiring in the 1990s, Dr. Bigelow continued to volunteer at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center. He is survived by three children: daughter Christina Von Wald of Denver; son Kim Alan Bigelow of Hua Hin, Thailand, and son Bruce Bigelow of San Diego, California; and six grandchildren: Brooke, Michael, Megan, Sean, Caitlin and Ben. A Funeral Mass will be held Friday, August 17, 2012, at 11:30 A.M., at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, 2200 South Harrison Street, in Denver. Burial will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery, in Denver. Please share your memories of Dr. Bigelow and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook.