David William Burgan, M.D.

David William Burgan, M.D., 75, died peacefully at his home surrounded by his wife and their three daughters in Polson, Mont., on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011. He died of complications from Pick’s Disease, a rare and very aggressive form of front temporal dementia.

David was born on April 28, 1936 to Oliver Wendell Burgan and Hazel Estelle Dewar Burgan in Helena, Mont. where he graduated as Salutatorian of the Helena High School class of 1954. He loved sports, especially baseball, and played Helena Legion Baseball, playing and coaching from grade school through college. He was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan (he could get them on the radio in Helena and the players had ‘fun’ names). He enjoyed the spring training games in the Phoenix, Ariz., area, eventually buying a condo after retirement within walking distance of the Cubs’ spring training facilities where he and Marjorie wintered. One of his most enjoyable weeks was spent at a Chicago Cubs fantasy camp at the training facility in Mesa, Ariz. with Cub players like Ron Santo and Jimmy Piersol in a real Cubs uniform!

David attended the University of Washington for one year where he made the freshman baseball team at U of W. He then transferred to Montana State University in Bozeman where he received a bachelor of science degree with honors in pre-med in 1958. David received his M.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1961 graduating in the top 10 percent of his medical class and was chosen for Alpha Omega Alpha, a medical scholastic honorary.

David met Marjorie Lois Carr when he was a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. He saw her ‘across a crowded room’ and, uncharacteristically, boldly went up to her in the Theta house and introduced himself! That was March of 1959. They were married at the First Congregational Church in Robbinsdale, Minn., on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19, 1960. David and Marjorie celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010 by taking the family to Kauai, Hawaii. They were married 51.5 years.

He joined the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant in 1960 with the Army senior medical program, then took his internship at William Beaumont Army Hospital in El Paso, Texas, 1961-62. David continued to serve in the U.S. Army at Ft. Wainwright and Bassett Army Hospital in Fairbanks, Alaska from 1962-65.

After being honorably discharged, David practiced general medicine at the Doctor’s Clinic in Auburn, Wash., 1965-67. Then deciding to specialize in diagnostic radiology, he took his residency at Parkland Hospital and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas, 1967-70. He then was asked to stay and teach Angiography at UTSW Medical School, which he did for one year, 1970-71. He was the sole author of three papers on knee orthography, 1971. David was board certified in diagnostic radiology by the American Board of Radiology in 1971.

David and Marjorie decided they did not want to raise their three daughters in Dallas and the opportunity came to join Missoula Radiology, Inc. in 1971, so they were excited to move back to Montana. David practiced Diagnostic Radiology in Missoula from 1971-1994. He was the chief of the department of diagnostic imaging at Missoula Community Medical Center from 1974-1994. When David retired, he felt very honored to have MCMC name the department in his honor: David W. Burgan, M.D. Diagnostic Imaging Department. He was a member of the medical staffs of Missoula Community Medical Center and St. Patrick’s Hospital.

David was President of the medical staff Missoula Community Medical Center in 1977; President of the Western Montana Medical Society, 1979; councilor from Montana to the American College of Radiology in 1978 and 1979; counselor for the State of Montana, Radiologic Society of North America from 1976-80; member Board of Directors of the Montana Hospital Association, 1992-1995; member of the Board of Trustees for Missoula Community Medical Center from 1976-2005 and Chairman of MCMC Board, 1996-2005. He was named Montana Hospital Association Health Care Trustee of the Year in 2005. David served on the Monida Health Care Board of Directors from its formation in 1996 to 2009. David was a member of the American College of Radiology; American Institute of UltraSound in Medicine; Society of Radiologists in UltraSound; Society of Breast Imaging; Radiologic Society of North America; American Medical Association and the Western Montana Medical Society.

David was a loyal Montana State University Bobcat through all the years he lived in Missoula and a season ticket holder for the Bobcat football games since 1971, even traveling with the team to Charleston, S.C., in 1984 when they won the National Championship! He was President of the Montana State University Alumni Board 1977-79; on the Advisory Council for Montana State University School of Business 1980-84; he established the Watling Pre-Medical Scholarship at MSU in 1976 to honor his pre-med advisor, Prof. Harold Watling, while he was still alive. David was asked and became a member of the first Blue and Gold Emeriti Council, 2007, of the MSU Alumni Association.

David was elected an Elder in the Presbyterian Church in Fairbanks, Alaska, 1964, where he also taught a high school Sunday School class. He served on Presbyterian Church Sessions in Fairbanks and Missoula and served on Pastor Nomination Committees twice. David and Marjorie started an adult class called “The Struggling Believers” at First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, which David led year round for eight-plus years. Summers they would meet in a park so the children could play while the adults had their class discussions. It had the “Harbaugh Rule” – no one could be held accountable for their opinion for more than two weeks – they were allowed to change their views and grow in their faith and understanding!

David and Marjorie were the instigators behind the Missoula affiliate of Habitat For Humanity. David provided the financial and emotional support for Marjorie to use her organizational skills to get it started in Missoula.

David was an award-winning photographer, had a good eye for composition and his home is graced with many of his photos. In retirement he enjoyed playing golf, more so when he realized he was never going to be on the PGA tour so he didn’t need to keep score! Also in retirement, because he had always liked to sing and had a nice voice, the choir director of Polson’s First Presbyterian Church asked him to sing in their choir. Both he and Marjorie joined and enjoyed being a part of the church choirs together in Polson and in Mesa, Ariz. in the wintertime.

David is survived by his wife, three wonderful daughters: Judith Suzanne, Barbara Jean and Ann Katherine; Two fine son-in-laws: M.A. Scot Moorhead and Keith M. Mellor; and three special grandchildren: Tieran Connor Burgan Moorhead (11), Joshua Gareth Burgan Moorhead (8) and Sydney Katherine Mellor (4); his brother and sister-in-law, Oliver Donald and Jean Burgan, his sister-in-laws: Katherine Roalstad and Cynthia Hardyman and nieces and nephews. David’s parents preceded him in death.

David was a generous, kind, honorable and talented Christian man, a lifelong Presbyterian and a Republican in his politics! His words to live by were “duty, responsibility, integrity and loyalty.”

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in David’s name to: Missoula Community Medical Center Foundation, Montana State University, First Presbyterian Church of Polson choir, Habitat For Humanity of Missoula or St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation. His memorial service was held on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. (after the Bobcat FCS quarterfinal football game) at First Presbyterian Church in Polson. An internment service will be held this spring/summer for those unable to attend. Messages of condolences may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com.