EUGENE Edward FIBUCH, M.D. – Eugene (Gene) E. Fibuch, M.D. peacefully passed away Sunday, August 20th, 2017 at the Hospice House of Kansas City after an arduous nine year battle with cancer. A visitation, funeral service and reception will be held Friday, August 25, 2017 at Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9401 Mission Road, Leawood, KS 66206. The visitation begins at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. A reception will immediately follow the service at the church. A military burial will be held at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m.

Gene was born January 8, 1945 in St. Paul, MN to Edward and Elizabeth (Biel) Fibuch and was blessed to have loving role models in his parents.

He attended the University of Minnesota and graduated from the Creighton University School of Medicine in 1970. In 1974, he graduated from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Anesthesiology and immediately entered the United States Navy as a Lieutenant Commander and began his teaching career at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital. His love of teaching brought him to Kansas City in 1976 where he began as a staff anesthesiologist at St. Luke’s Hospital. In 1977, he became the Program Director of the Anesthesiology residency training program at St. Luke’s and graduated over 100 physicians throughout his career. He served on many hospital and board committees and was the member of many professional medical organizations. He also served as the Vice-President and Medical Director for Quality at St. Luke’s Hospital and was instrumental in St. Luke’s winning the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award in 2003. He was a true academic leader who also served as a senior oral examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology for over 25 years.

In 1991 he became the Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Medicine until his retirement in 2014 when he was appointed Professor Emeritus. His board certifications included Diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Pain Management, Quality Assurance and Certification as Physician Executive. Gene was a kind, caring physician who continuously challenged himself and his resident physicians to find ways to improve the quality of care for patients. He was a leader with high expectations for himself and others. He always encouraged everyone he worked and associated with to become more than they believed they could be.

Gene was a principled man of character whose love of faith, family and his country guided him throughout his life in all his endeavors. A man of many talents, Gene has been described as a Renaissance man whose varied interests were seen in the beautiful wood sculptures he created for his home, the intricately assembled model war ships and airplanes. His daughters also appreciated the handcrafted doll house he made for them. He loved traveling the world with his family and friends absorbing the details of many cultures. His wife especially appreciated his handyman ability; he could fix almost everything around the house himself. He also enjoyed bantering with his neighbors and helped them whenever he could. He was known for many years to awaken at 4:45 a.m. in the winter to plow the snow so everyone could get to work on time. Gene truly loved and treasured his family, friends, neighbors and his fellow Knights of Columbus, where he was a member of the honor guard for the 4th degree Fr Michael J. McGiviney, assembly #3141.

He was preceded in death by his father, Edward S. Fibuch. He is survived by his wife, Annette of 47 years, and his daughters Heather Townsend (Justin) Stilwell, KS and Jennifer Robertson M.D (Atlanta, GA), grandchildren Jeannette and Shane Townsend and his two beloved grand dogs, Harvard and Zoe Belle Robertson. His mother, Elizabeth and sisters, Darlene Kowalski (Jerry), Mary Jo Anderson from Minnesota and brother-in-law Thomas Simek (Evelyn) of Arizona also survive him.

The family is deeply grateful to all of Gene’s physicians, nurses, family members and caregivers who compassionately traveled this journey with him. They left no stone unturned in his care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Kansas City Hospice House and Palliative Care, Kansas City, Missouri; the Church of the Nativity Knights of Columbus, the Fr. Michael J. McGiviney Assembly #3141 or the charity of your choice.

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