Vogel, John Max

Born January 1, l923 in Camberg, Germany and entered into 
rest July 8, 2010 at his home in Davis with family by his side. He 
is survived by his loving wife, Jeanne Hanna Vogel of Davis, 
step-daughters, Kelli Saylors (Stephanie) of Sacramento and 
Heidi Rasmussen (David Krause) of Woodland and 
grandchildren: Aidan, Hayden, Lucas, and Morgan. He was 
preceded in death by his first wife, Betty.

John graduated from the High School of Commerce in San 
Francisco in 1939. He received his MD degree in 1947 from the 
UC School of Medicine in San Francisco.

His career began with a Residency in Surgery at the US Public 
Health Hospital in Detroit, MI. He continued serving in the US 
Public Health Service for 25 years in Staten Island, New York; 
Fort Worth, Texas; San Francisco, California; and aboard a ship 
in the US Coast Guard. After a very distinguished and 
productive career in Health Services, John began work in bone 
density studies as a researcher, consultant, teacher and 
director. He worked with NASA as a member of the Apollo 14
-16 medical teams from l970 to l975. He was a clinical 
professor of radiology at UC Davis School of Medicine and 
continued to attend conferences to stay abreast of current 
research in his fields of study in nuclear medicine, even after 
retirement.

Among many honors, John was awarded the Meritorious 
Service Medal from the US Public Health Service in 1970, the 
Society of Nuclear Medicine Western Regional Award for 
Distinguished Contributions to Nuclear Medicine in 1984 and 
the ''Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to the Field of 
Nuclear Medicine'' by the Sierra Valley Nuclear Medicine 
Association in April of 1996.

John's many professional accolades and contributions were 
eclipsed by his warmth, humility and boundless curiosity. The 
twinkle never left his eyes; his passion for adventure never 
waned. John took inspiration from the marvels of the world he 
enthusiastically photographed. In turn, John's mere presence - 
his kind, clever wit and gentle tone - inspired his colleagues, 
friends and family to no end. Known for his generosity, John 
contributed to many professional societies, charities and the 
arts. He played piano, loved classical music and the opera, and 
he was an avid supporter of the Mondavi Center for the 
Performing Arts in Davis and the San Francisco Opera and 
Symphony as well as a patron of the S.F. Opera for the past 50 
years.

John lived in many places around the world, but he considered 
his home to be Yolo County where he has resided since 1970.

A private family interment will be held at the Woodland 
Cemetery.

All friends are welcome to celebrate John's admirable life at the 
Stonegate Country Club, 919 Lake Boulevard, in Davis at 1 PM 
on Sunday, September 19, 2010. In lieu of flowers, please 
make a donation to the National Osteoporosis Foundation or 
the American Heart Association . 

Published in The Sacramento Bee on July 14, 2010