“Dr Rockwood is an orthopedic legend. In reflecting on his legacy this past week, I have two favorite memories of him and the man that he was. The first is a quote that he shared at his Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award ceremony April 2017. In his acceptance speech he shared the following sentiment; “I love my family, I love scouting and I love the Lord”. I felt this simple quote summarized the type of man that he was. Kind, well-rounded, dedicated, spiritual and intensely focused on the things that mattered to him. The other, is when I was an intern and we had a recruitment dinner for potential residents at his house. He was wearing a conductor uniform and was his typical fun-loving self, interacting with everyone and making everyone comfortable. The dinner was scheduled until 8 pm and when the clock struck 8 he walked around his house ringing a bell and saying “get out, get out – everyone out, don’t let the door hit you on the way out….the party is over”. I learned then that to have a successful career, productive research, and a good family life one must set and maintain boundaries, otherwise with everyone vying for your time, one would never accomplish all that needs to be accomplished. Dr. Rockwood is a wonderful and well-rounded man who trained many to follow in his footsteps as a caring surgeon who enjoyed life to its fullest. It was an honor to have known him.”

“Dr. Rockwood was an unforgettable dynamic force driving one to excellence, adding extraordinary energy to his environment whether in the OR, clinic or at Grand Rounds. He was a welcome bundle of warm vigor when he visited us North Dakotans at the Minot Air Force Base. Many great memories have surfaced these last few weeks perhaps one of the best as he surreptitiously first tested the Watanabe arthroscope which unfortunately lost it’s bulb in the knee. We were truly fortunate to have been selected as residents at U Texas @ San Antonio.”

“Thank you for including me in this tribute to Dr. Rockwood. All of the good things that you can think about Americans were embodied in Charles Rockwood. He was born in Oklahoma, which was the last state to have a land rush. So, the state, even in his youth, was filled with some Indians, though they were not wild ones at that time. He was educated in the public and parochial schools of Oklahoma City. He did his medical schooling at the University of Oklahoma Medical School, where he first came in contact with Dr. Don H. O’Donoghue. Dr. O’Donoghue had been an influence on his life since that time. He married Patsy Flanagan, the first girl he had ever kissed and his sweetheart all his life. Immediately after his marriage, he took his wife to the Panama Canal Zone where he interned in Gorgas Hospital. It is always a pleasure for me to sit and talk with Mrs. Rockwood about that year in Panama. She said everything mildewed because of the damp climate. They had to put their shoes in the closet where they kept the lights on all the time to keep the leather in the shoes from ruining. It is a tribute to her and to Dr. Rockwood that they speak with such fondness about that year in the canal zone. Upon returning from the Panama Canal Zone, he did his residency at the University of Oklahoma and then became the Chief of Orthopaedics at Wilford Hall us Air Force Hospital here in San Antonio. His colleague at that time was Jim Dobyns and as you know, Dr. Dobyns is a meticulous, slow, methodical sort and Dr. Rockwood was just the opposite. They were two diametrically opposed personalities but warm personal friends. In 1969, Dr. Rockwood was the second faculty hired at the then new University of Texas Health Science Center which was established in San Antonio. He was the sole faculty member in Orthopaedics until 1973, and ran the Orthopaedic Trauma Service and the Reconstructive Service, both at the Bexar County Hospital and at the newly opened Audie Murphy Veterans Administration Hospital. He had been at the Health Science Center since that time despite tempting offers for large amounts of money to what are considered more prestigious Chairs at other places across the country. He worked 12-14 hour days and despite being an excellent general orthopaedist, he had focused his attention mainly on the shoulder. He was a master craftsman. He was gentle with the tissue and meticulous in his surgical technique. He was innovative and accomplished in anatomy plus daring when he needed to be in difficult shoulder procedures. He was not a basic scientist, nor was he skilled in scientific research, but common sense and a superb understanding of anatomy had enabled him to perfect techniques and advances, which have benefitted all of us who have trained under him. He was an excellent lecturer and each year it was his responsibility alone, which he relished, to lecture the second year medical students during their block on Orthopaedics. He mixed lectures with anecdotes, jokes, and often hilariously funny stories and kodachromes that kept nearly everyone in class awake and alert. He readily admitted his mistakes and the shortcomings of his techniques. He was honest in his appraisal of his patients and honest in his dealings with other physicians. He was tireless and patient to the extreme in evaluating his patients and in tending to their needs. His passions, in addition to those in medicine, were his family, his church, golf and fishing. He had nine children, eight sons and one daughter—more of a mob than a family! They all adored one another and I myself adore every one of them. Three are in medical-related fields, one a urologist, two in medical supply, one as a wild life biologist, one is with the administration of the University in Austin on the main campus, one is in sales, one is in journalism and two are still in school. Rarely was his house silent with this group of young adults. They are all well mannered, they are all fine gentlemen, and they all loved their mother and father. All the boys were Eagle Scouts. I can well remember when Jesse DeLee and I took Dr. Rockwood from his hospital bed on a stretcher, prior to a diskectomy, to one of the large churches in San Antonio where three of Dr. Rockwood’s sons were going to receive their Eagle Scout badges, which is the highest recognition that comes in boy scouting in America. He insisted on going and despite the fact that he was in a considerable amount of pain, he seemed to enjoy the ceremony very much. Dr. Rockwood himself had been active in scouting for many years and had the nation’s highest Scout Award for his volunteer efforts. Loyal and giving to the church in all its efforts and causes was a Rockwood tradition, both for Patsy and Dr. Rockwood, for the youth, choir or any church activity. I always thought that golf was a nice way to spoil a walk but, to Dr. Rockwood it was heaven. He played as often as he could, wherever he could, and enjoyed each hole, quite competitive, but never over-zealous on the course. Salmon and trout fishing were his pastime in the field along with quail hunting. He loved a good joke, a good glass of whiskey, a smelly cigar, good conversation, slow dances with his wife and took an occasional nap. He loved the particular Texan expletive of “gawd dam.” And the way he said it, even St. Peter would espouse this in his vocabulary. He rose early, worked hard and went to bed before 10:00 pm. He read history and biography. He liked country and western music and he was always interested in whoever I was dating at the time. He had been trying to get me married for a long, long time. He had a great knack of getting the most out of people (ask Dave Green) and was the most organized person I knew, to appear in such disarray. He told wonderful stories, loved to wear jeans and boots, adored the kilt although he looked awful in one, and rarely saw an unhappy moment. My father always told me that you could judge a man by how he treats those who are subordinates. Dr. Rockwood had treated everybody with kindness, consideration, and concern. He had been a delightful mentor, a wonderful colleague, and a warm friend for a long time. He had his faults and detractors, but they were few. ”

“So sorry to hear the news about Charlie. Even though I knew the day would come, I was still not prepared for it. Not only was he a great teacher in his own right, but he built a fantastic residency program that I was, and am, proud to have been a part of. From the terrific in-house faculty (Dr. Corley, Dr. McGanity, Dr. Williams, Dr Wirth, Dr Dzida, Dr Heckman, Dr Schenk) to the unbelievable, Hall of Fame worthy private guys (Dr DeLee, Dr Trick, Dr Green, Dr Wilkins, Dr Hinchy, Dr Burkhardt, and so many more). It was truly a privilege to be a part of his legacy. I quote and imitate his Ross Perot-like voice EVERY single time I do a shoulder case. People looks at me funny when I ask for the “hot knife” just like Charlie taught me! I will never forget the day I interviewed with Charlie. He threw my chart on the floor and suggested that we just “cut the crap” and rank each other number 1. I eagerly agreed and we had a 9AM shot of tequila.”

“How grateful I am to have been one of the early residents in Dr. Rockwood’s program with Dr. Green and subsequently Dr. Wilkins. A lot was expected from us, but we were given the guidance we needed to accomplish the things we were expected to learn and to perform them well. To many in the orthopedic world Dr. Rockwood was known first for the fracture textbook and then his shoulder textbook and the shoulder prosthesis used all over the world. However, what I most appreciated about him was his ability to teach and surround himself with other exceptional teachers, e.g. Drs. Green and Wilkins, and for arranging to have us work downtown with other mentors such as Drs. Wolfe and Hinchey, etc. I’d like to think that when we graduated, we had been molded into competent community and academic orthopedic surgeons. By being a good teacher and orthopedic role model, Dr. Rockwood played a huge role in our lives for which I will always be grateful.”

“I echo the feelings expressed by others. We came out of that program not only as skilled surgeons, but as physicians and humans grounded in good judgement, empathy, and ethics. I will be forever grateful for the twists of fate that resulted in my landing in San Antonio, and for whatever I did ( or maybe didn’t do) to allow me to be accepted into that program. Like Jim, many days the thoughts ran to “what would Charlie (or Dave, or Kaye, sometimes Jesse or Fred) do,” and if the answer wasn’t clear, he was always available to provide some guidance. There are many things in life for which we all give thanks for - Charlie Rockwood is one of those.”

“Gentlemen, There are rare individuals who truly capture the elements of the Hippocratic oath it’s entirety. We all have lived in the shadow of one. There is not a single day in my 40 years of professional life have I not been guided by the ethics and principles of this man. We are very fortunate indeed. We all knew this day would come, but it is time to look the the future and continue to live up to the standards we were trained by. My regards.”

“Sorry to hear of Dr Rockwood’s passing. I know that we will always cherish the relationship we had with him. He certainly influenced the lives and careers of many in the orthopedic world. His leadership and contributions will always endure as will his friendly personality. I personally owe a lot to him for helping me have such a fantastic career. He was a great leader and also a friend to many.”

“All, Dr. Charlie Rockwood was my advisor in medical school, convinced me not to go into emergency medicine by saying the following, “Don’t you want to be captain of the gottdam ship?” For us all, especially those of us that trained in the late seventies to early nineties it was a glorious ride. Working our ass off, learning as much as we could, and being guided by a leader that could never be replaced. I always thought of Dr. Rockwood as a great coach. He not only taught us our skills and profession, but he taught us how to be good human beings, making sure that we would give back to our communities as he did. I figure we are all heartbroken. However, we acknowledge that we had the unbelievable experience to train with one of the titans of our profession. For me, I am forever grateful and humbled by the journey. Best regards to all of my compadres.”

“We were all fortunate to have been trained by such an icon. He was, by his example, responsible for my career. He was also a great friend and confidant in later years. “Professor” stories will continue to bring laughter and will keep his memory alive. If the measure of a man is the fact he left the world a better place than he found it - Charles Rockwood was that man.”

“Dr. Rockwood was truly a unique, brilliant and charismatic personality. He was the ultimate physician and teacher whose lessons were taught with a special flare and substance, memorable to all who were fortunate enough to have trained in his program, benefitting not only from Dr. Rockwood but also Dr. Green, Wilkins and private staff back in the day. Dr. Rockwood’s wisdom and words came to mind time and again during my years in practice.”

“I know that his passing will cause great reflection in all of us about the meaning to our lives and careers of having had his association.”

“I echo the sentiments of the others. Orthopedics has lost a great man who’s legacy will live on. He was such a fantastic role model.”

“He was a funny, energetic and knowledgeable innovator, writer and teacher- who ran a world class Department and residency program and surrounded himself with unparalleled staff and fellows. A great family man also! ”

“I remember the shared tequila shots in his office during the chief resident meetings with him. We would enter the meeting with all kinds of urgent matters on our minds and walk out an hour later quite happy without accomplishing anything. He was a master in the people and relationships category.”

“A great life . We all loved him. I quote him every day in the OR, like, “I’m surrounded by assassins.” He lives on in his family, resident’s and fellows. If you can’t have a tequila and a cigar this week, make it tamales and beer. ”