Dennis Ray Bozarth “Boz”, age 60, passed away at his home on August 28, 2017. He was born in Lincoln the fourth child of Clara M (Shrout) and the late James W. Bozarth. Dennis graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School, attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, received his MD from University of Nebraska Medical Center, and completed his residency at West Virginia University.
Dennis married his wife Carol in 1982. He is survived by her, their two sons Matthew (Kathryn) and Aaron (Jennifer), and grandchildren Robert and Petronella. Other survivors include his mother Clara, sisters Gayle Petersen and Kristi Lambrecht (Mark), brother John Bozarth, and many nieces and nephews. A highly respected orthopaedic surgeon, Dennis was known not only for his skill but also for his joy and laughter in the operating room and his determined care for his patients. He focused on returning patients to an active lifestyle and often traveled to neighboring clinics to provide service to those in need.
Dennis enjoyed watching track and field and rugby with his sons, attending the College World Series, and cheering on the Huskers. A life-long Cubs fan, he cheered on the team at a World Series game at Wrigley Field last year. A licensed pilot since high school, he also enjoyed spending his vacations at Disney World with his wife Carol.
A Celebration of Life Open House will be Friday, September 1 from 4 to 7pm at First Evangelical Free Church, 3280 S 84th St, Lincoln, NE 68506.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Dennis will be donated to the CRUDEM Foundation. A hospital and medical mission in Haiti, Dennis was scheduled to spend a week there in September volunteering as a surgeon.
He was an unforgettable human being. His laughter and free spirit will be remembered by all he touched. So sorry to his family and close friends.
Dear Carol & family,
So sorry for your loss. Prayers go out to you and your family.
Kathy Swanson
Dennis was an extraordinary person, a phenomenal surgeon and mentor to many physicians, who was always fun to spend time with. He always made time to talk and visit with family, friends, colleagues and patients. He left folks smiling inside and out. Those interactions were priceless. He was authentic, and an interesting, engaging and diverse thinker who loved a variety of topics including and beyond family, aviation and the care of injured workers – his clinical passion. His premature departure leaves a huge void in many peoples lives. His impact, however, will live on for generations.
I am so sorry to hear of Dennis’s passing. What a smart, funny, and all around super nice guy he was! He leaves a great legacy. My deepest condolences to you Carol, Aaron, Matt and all of your families. You are all in my prayers.
John and family,
I am terribly sorry to hear of the passing of Dennis. You are in my thoughts and prayers during this time.
I extend my heartfelt sympathy to the Bozarth family. May those precious memories of your dear loved one Dennis be foremost in your hearts and minds along with this wonderful promise that Jesus made at John 5:28,29. Again, my sincere condolences.
As one of his patients, I was grateful for his expertise and help in getting better. He was very personable and fun to engage with during my office visits. He will be missed. Gone too soon. My heart goes out to his family. We will all miss him.
I am so sorry to hear of Dr.Bozarth’s passing, he indeed was a great guy and will be missed by so many. prayers to his family.
Carol,Clara & John and family
May our God sustain you in this time of need. We love you and will continue to pray for you.
Carol, John and family,
Dennis’s passing is shock and terrible lost to many. I have known Bo since we were teenagers and always called him one my best friends. He was smart, funny and had a great laugh. Dennis helped my son get into Med school which we are very grateful, much gratitude. You will be missed for who your are and what you have accomplished in you life. Love ya man!
I am so sad & sorry to see this. He was a great surgeon & once he warmed up to you he opened up and let his sense of humor come out. I will always be greatful to him for his skills & compasion. Prayers to his family and colleagues
Dennis as a sweet, kind, humble man. He was always in a great mood and his laughter was infectious. He will be dearly missed by us. We are sending love and prayers.
I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Bozarth at St. E’s in the OR. Everyone knew when he was on site because of the sound of booming laughter coming from the OR when he was working. You couldn’t be around him and not have a smile on your face. He was a highly respected surgeon and a great man. My thoughts and prayers are with those who grieve his loss. He will be greatly missed.
He was one of the good ones and will be greatly missed.
Carol,
So sorry to hear about Dennis. I am kind of shocked right now. Your family is in our thoughts and prayers.
This was a shock, less than a year ago Dr. Bozarth did a knee replacement for me, the sixth surgery he performed over the years. One thing that stood out to me was when I visited him for my various injuries I always felt like he was truly interested in me personally and gave me all the time I needed, never felt rushed…he was wonderful, will really miss him!
To the Bozarth Famiy. We welcomed you to Lincoln when your father started his career as a veterinarian with my father Dr Robert W White. I have many fond memories of growing up with you as neighbors and especially how much fun it was to play croquet on summer nights on West Charleston. I am sorry for the passing of Dennis, I am sure that your father is very proud of Dennis’s accomplishments. A special heart felt condolence to Clara for she is a very special person and was a special neighbor to all of the White kids. May you know that my best wishes are for all of you in the future.
Warren G. White the Swede
As another September is soon here, The Big Red Club will be missing one of its own. Row 35 seat 7 was Dennis’s. All of our prayers are with you Carol and your family.
THE BIG RED CLUB.
Carol,
So many kind thoughts and words about Dennis! We feel so fortunate to have known him from the fun Morgantown days and we are not surprised to read all these lovely words and love for him from friends, patients and colleagues whose lives he touched! You and your sons and their families are in our thoughts and prayers and we are so very very sorry to hear about his passing. With love, Kevin and Nancy Sidow
I am sorry to hear of the passing of Dennis. He was a skilled physician who was dedicated to his patients. Joyful to work with for all who surrounded him. Condolences to his family and coworkers.
Such a shock to hear of Doctor Bozarth’s passing. He did surgery on my sons hips & pinned both of them because he grew to fast & his hips slipped out of the growth plates. Years down the road he romoved the pins & my son still has such pins as soveiners. He was a great man and will never be forgotten for what he did for my son. My prays go out to his wife & family.
Sorry to hear about Dr Bozarth. He was the b st doctor I ever had. He always took the time to talk to you and go over all the options. He will be missed.
Wow!I am so shocked to hear about the passing of Dr.Bozarth passing,He was a ausome person and I believed in him 110%,May he r.i.p..mary
I am so very sorry for your loss. I was one of his many patients, but yet he always made me feel like I was the only one he was seeing that day. Never made me feel “rushed” and would just sit back in his chair and ask if there was anything else I wanted to discuss. Such an awesome, awesome doctor and he will be greatly missed! Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Carol and Family:
Thinking of you. Was so sorry to hear this. Hold close all the great memories.
Carol, and family, I just wanted to send you a prayer to remind you that God is with you in this difficult time. It sounds like you were so fortunate to have a great man in your life for so many years, and how many others did he help? I am proud for you, for the legacy Dennis left. You are blessed.
So sorry for your loss Carol. Dennis was always so much fun to work with over at the Lincoln VAMC. I helped with a lot of Total hips & knees with him and Chuck and Smitty. We always had music and some singing going on! ha! ha! The staff always like working with him at the LINCOLN VAMC. As a retired Navy Hospital Corpsman it was an honor
to work and know Dr. Boz as a wonderful surgeon and human being. He will be truly missed in the Lincoln community. Bravo Zulu! Sir. We will see him again on the other side in heaven. RIP DR. Bozarth.??
I was really shocked to hear that Dennis had passed and wish to express my condolences to his family. We had a good professional relationship and I always appreciated his upbeat and friendly manner. He was well liked and will be missed by all.
Carol and family…We are so sorry for your loss. I’ve been a patient of his a long time ago, from 3 surguries. He was a great Dr. and made one feel special. His humor carried you through the dark. Later we would see you both when you came to our Restaurant….HoneyCreek, in Waverly. We said almost everytime after you’d leave, that you could always see the love between you by how you’d look at each other. Again our sympathy and prayers for your loss.
I was so fortunate to work many years in the St. E’s OR with Dr. Bozarth. He was highly respected and very talented, yet humble. Always kind, always considerate, always fun to be around. I can’t imagine the OR without him. His family is in my thoughts and prayers.
My deepest sympathy to the Bozarth family for the loss of Dennis. It has been awhile, but even back then he was always sincere, engaging, and fun. I remember the day he and John graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and still have some great photos of that event. My heart goes out to all of you, and I will be praying for your strength and healing. And Carol…extra special thoughts for you as you go forward in love, while missing his presence.?
I had the honor of working with “Boz” over the last 4 years at Lincoln Orthopedic Center. On a professional level, Dr. Bozarth was off-the-charts smart and talented. He was an excellent surgeon and compassionate doctor. He cared about his patients and was not concerned with their ability to pay. He would care for anyone in need. He had years of experience with a unique skill set, and I frequently would welcome his professional advice. I don’t know where he got all his energy, but he was not built with an “off switch.” He also had a loyal medical team who worked with him for decade. They were a close knit group and more like family than work associates. He was always the first to volunteer for a late night surgical case or fill in for a partner who needed help.
On a personal front, he was a selfless and reliable friend. He had a quick and sharp wit, and I can not recall a time he did not wear a smile on his face that was mostly onery. It was always a great pleasure and joy to spend time with Dennis and his wonderful wife of 35 years, Carol. He had a supreme joy for life and loved flying his airplane, but more importantly he loved spending time with his wife, his two sons, and their families. It was all about family with Boz.
I will miss Dennis very much. I will miss seeing his face every day. Instead I see his office covered in flowers and cards. He was an extremely special person who came in and out of my life quickly. I am so much better for having the experience.
There is a famous saying that “Only the good die young.” In this life, it is spot on!
God speed Dennis Bozarth, “Boz.” I hope we can meet again in another time and place. That, indeed would be a glorious day.
Rocky
So so sorry to hear about Dr. Bozarth. I was privileged to work with him years ago at BryanLgh. He was a great surgeon and so fun to work with. Always laughing and making others laugh. Such a great loss. My condolences to his family. He will truly be missed. ?
We are so shocked and so very saddened to hear this news about Dr. Bozarth. With heavy hearts we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and patients. Between my husband, our son and myself, Dr. Bozarth operated on us five times. He expertly, skillfully and humorously healed us up perfectly and got us on our way with each and every surgery. He treated us with such care and concern, consideration and respect for our medical conditions – as if we were members of his own family. How blessed and fortunate we are to have had him by our side during our times of need.
Carol and family, I worked with the “Boz” in the York Surgery Suite. There was always something that made his eyes twinkle when he worked. This poem was given me when my dad died. It reminds us of the goal and of who we are on earth.
“We rejoice in the new life born into heaven but be grieve deeply because we are human and we have loved.”
May the Lord show you peace and comfort in time.
Marcia & Max Hoover
So shocked to hear someone so ‘full of life’ is gone. Randy and I have both had the privilege of working with him over the years at St.E’s, Crete Med Center and Bryan. Friendly, compassionate and faithful are the first three things that come to mind when I think about him.’Boz’ was a special person and a wonderful Physician. Our heartfelt prayers go out to his family in this time of loss.
So often, the Good die way to soon…Dennis was a fabulous surgeon and an even better person…..May God grant him eternal peace and his family comfort in the years ahead
My sincerest condolences to Dr. Bozarth’s family. I worked often with Dr. Bozarth on workers’ compensation cases. He was a physician of the highest order and always such a pleasure to work with. He will be missed. My prayers are with you at this time.
I spent many enjoyable hours in the operating room working with Dennis. He was an excellent surgeon and his humor always made the hours pass faster. He was one of my favorite people! I will greatly miss him. Joanna and my prayers go out to his family!
Gayle, Kristi, and John
So sorry for your loss of Dennis. My heart is with each of you. I sit here remembering all
the good times we had at Granny’s house. So many memories. May God be with you through
this time of grief.
Thinking of each of you
Jamie Carol
Carol and families. So sorry to hear of Dr.Bozarth’s passing. He was a great guy. I’ve known him for quite a few years. He did surgery on my boyfriend’s knee. After my boyfriend was healing and doing his physical therapy with Tom Stootsenbery one day, Dr. Bozarth happened to come in and saw Randy there. He said to him, Randy your looking good. Whoever did your surgery did a really good job on your knee. We all laughed. Dr.Bozarth was a very kind man and a great physician. He helped me with my knee a few times, he was a GREAT GUY!! GOD bless you all in your time of mourning. My condolences to you and your families. My thoughts and prayers are with you all in this time of need.
I am so sorry for your loss. He truly was a neat person. I had the pleasure of working with him over the past 20 some years. I enjoyed being in the OR and out. I can honestly say I never saw him angry with or about anything…disappointed, yes. But never angry. He had an uncanny ability to remember you as a person AND your first name. He generally had a joke or funny comment to make and a smile on his face. I am still in a state of shock about his death. He will be sorely missed. I can only imagine the empty place in your heart. You will be in my thoughts and prayers as we all remember him during special times that we would know that he would have a fun comment to make, had he been there.
My mother will miss Dr. Bozarth very much. After two hips, two knees, and one shoulder replaced, let’s say she felt a unique closeness to Dennis. He also repaired Dad’s broken femur when he fell. Having known Dennis’ father and watching Dennis grow up made their relationship a special one. Yes, he will really be missed by our family.
Our sincere condolences and may your family find strength during this trying time.
So very sorry for your loss. I worked with him many years ago at LGH and then at Crete. Our family has had the good fortune to have 4 knees , a fractured femur, fractured clavicle, fractured foot, fractured ulna and radius, fractured scapula and multiple more minor injuries cared for by Dr. B. . He has taken wonderful care of us. We will miss his humor and skilled hands.