Roll Call Tribute
Benjamin "Ben" Vickers '59 September 20, 2019 9:57 AM updated: September 20, 2019 10:00 AM
Osborn Funeral Home obituary
3631 Southern Avenue
Shreveport, Louisiana 71104
Phone: 318-865-8426
Fax: 318-865-8429
Dr. Benjamin Vickers
October 22, 1936 - September 17, 2019
Dr. Benjamin Vickers passed away September 17, 2019 after a lengthy illness. A visitation will be held prior to service beginning at 10 AM on Saturday, September 21, 2019 in Couch Parlor with a celebration of his life following at 11 AM in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Shreveport.
Ben, or “Benjy” to those who knew him best, was born October 22, 1936 in Coolidge, TX. In 1949 his family moved to Pittsburg, TX where he graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1955. He attended Texas A&M University and then East Texas State University and was selected after his junior year of college to attend University of Texas Medical School in Galveston. He was a member of AK medical fraternity where he made many lifelong friends. Also, while in medical school, he met the love of his life, Betty Jowers, on a blind date, and they were married 6 months later.
After graduating medical school in the spring of 1962, Ben and Betty moved to Shreveport for his internship at the then Confederate Memorial Hospital. He was drafted into the US Army and served two years as the medical director of the recruiting station in Shreveport. After his service, he returned to Confederate to complete his residency and was board certified in diagnostic and therapeutic radiology.
Ben was a lifelong learner. As the new technologies of ultrasound and CT came along, he went back to LSUMC to learned these advances to best be able to serve his practice and patients. When the field of interventional radiology began to emerge, he was fascinated with the idea of being able to use image guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures that had previously required major surgery. He began attending the very first meetings and teaching conferences and was a pioneer in this region in the field of interventional radiology, which is now a separate medical specialty. He was one of the first to perform a balloon angioplasty and stenting of an artery in our area.
His passion for learning and teaching was so great that he eventually quit his private practice to take the position of Director of Interventional Radiology at LSUMC. These last five years of his career were some of the most rewarding as he got to share his passion for this newly developing field with residents and students. He took great pleasure in mentoring and influencing many residents to pursue a career in IR. The most meaningful of which were his son. Greg Vickers who practices in Hattiesburg, MS and his son-in-law, Kelly White who practices in Shreveport. Unfortunately, a stroke ended his medial career and he retired in January of 1998.
His retirement gave him the opportunity to focus his passions closer to home. Ben and Betty loved tackling landscaping projects at their home as well as building and landscaping their lake home in his beloved East Texas. The lake house was a place many wonderful memories were made with his friends, family, and grandchildren fishing, boating, rope-swinging, and just hanging out.
Ben loved watching football, especially the Dallas Cowboys and his Texas Aggies. He loved music, and anyone who had the opportunity to hear him sing knew what a strong and beautiful voice he had. Ben loved the Lord and his church and had a special appreciation for his pastor and fellow East-Texan, Dr. Pat Day. He and Betty had many wonderful times with and were charter members of their Seekers Sunday school class. And Ben loved people! He had a kind heart, a gentle spirit, a quick smile, and magnetic personality! Ben’s greatest love was his family and he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather!
He was preceded in death by his father, R. L. Vickers; his mother, Mary Prince Vickers; and his brother, Prince Vickers. He is survived by: his loving wife of 59 years, Betty Vickers; his daughter, Tami White (Kelly); his son, Greg Vickers (Lisa); grandchildren, Cole Vickers, Jacob Vickers, Harris White and Katie White; his brother, Jon H. Vickers (Lou Ann); nieces; and special family friend, Emma Jean Phillips.
The family requests that donations be made to a charity of the donor’s choice in lieu of flowers.
VISITATION
First United Methodist Church-Parlor
Saturday, September 21, 2019
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Head of Texas
Shreveport, LA 71101
MEMORIAL SERVICE AT CHURCH
First United Methodist Church of Shreveport
Saturday, September 21, 2019
11:00 AM
500 Common Street
Shreveport, LA 71101
3631 Southern Avenue
Shreveport, Louisiana 71104
Phone: 318-865-8426
Fax: 318-865-8429
Dr. Benjamin Vickers
October 22, 1936 - September 17, 2019
Dr. Benjamin Vickers passed away September 17, 2019 after a lengthy illness. A visitation will be held prior to service beginning at 10 AM on Saturday, September 21, 2019 in Couch Parlor with a celebration of his life following at 11 AM in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Shreveport.
Ben, or “Benjy” to those who knew him best, was born October 22, 1936 in Coolidge, TX. In 1949 his family moved to Pittsburg, TX where he graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1955. He attended Texas A&M University and then East Texas State University and was selected after his junior year of college to attend University of Texas Medical School in Galveston. He was a member of AK medical fraternity where he made many lifelong friends. Also, while in medical school, he met the love of his life, Betty Jowers, on a blind date, and they were married 6 months later.
After graduating medical school in the spring of 1962, Ben and Betty moved to Shreveport for his internship at the then Confederate Memorial Hospital. He was drafted into the US Army and served two years as the medical director of the recruiting station in Shreveport. After his service, he returned to Confederate to complete his residency and was board certified in diagnostic and therapeutic radiology.
Ben was a lifelong learner. As the new technologies of ultrasound and CT came along, he went back to LSUMC to learned these advances to best be able to serve his practice and patients. When the field of interventional radiology began to emerge, he was fascinated with the idea of being able to use image guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures that had previously required major surgery. He began attending the very first meetings and teaching conferences and was a pioneer in this region in the field of interventional radiology, which is now a separate medical specialty. He was one of the first to perform a balloon angioplasty and stenting of an artery in our area.
His passion for learning and teaching was so great that he eventually quit his private practice to take the position of Director of Interventional Radiology at LSUMC. These last five years of his career were some of the most rewarding as he got to share his passion for this newly developing field with residents and students. He took great pleasure in mentoring and influencing many residents to pursue a career in IR. The most meaningful of which were his son. Greg Vickers who practices in Hattiesburg, MS and his son-in-law, Kelly White who practices in Shreveport. Unfortunately, a stroke ended his medial career and he retired in January of 1998.
His retirement gave him the opportunity to focus his passions closer to home. Ben and Betty loved tackling landscaping projects at their home as well as building and landscaping their lake home in his beloved East Texas. The lake house was a place many wonderful memories were made with his friends, family, and grandchildren fishing, boating, rope-swinging, and just hanging out.
Ben loved watching football, especially the Dallas Cowboys and his Texas Aggies. He loved music, and anyone who had the opportunity to hear him sing knew what a strong and beautiful voice he had. Ben loved the Lord and his church and had a special appreciation for his pastor and fellow East-Texan, Dr. Pat Day. He and Betty had many wonderful times with and were charter members of their Seekers Sunday school class. And Ben loved people! He had a kind heart, a gentle spirit, a quick smile, and magnetic personality! Ben’s greatest love was his family and he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather!
He was preceded in death by his father, R. L. Vickers; his mother, Mary Prince Vickers; and his brother, Prince Vickers. He is survived by: his loving wife of 59 years, Betty Vickers; his daughter, Tami White (Kelly); his son, Greg Vickers (Lisa); grandchildren, Cole Vickers, Jacob Vickers, Harris White and Katie White; his brother, Jon H. Vickers (Lou Ann); nieces; and special family friend, Emma Jean Phillips.
The family requests that donations be made to a charity of the donor’s choice in lieu of flowers.
VISITATION
First United Methodist Church-Parlor
Saturday, September 21, 2019
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Head of Texas
Shreveport, LA 71101
MEMORIAL SERVICE AT CHURCH
First United Methodist Church of Shreveport
Saturday, September 21, 2019
11:00 AM
500 Common Street
Shreveport, LA 71101
505 George Bush Drive
College Station, TX 77840
(979) 845-7514
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