William Lockwood Ziegler

On January 31st, a glorious light was lost as Dr. William Ziegler passed away at the age of 92.

Dr. Ziegler, known as Bill to his friends, touched so many hearts during his lifetime. Whether you were a family member, a friend, or a patient, he cared for you deeply, which he demonstrated every single day.

Born in St. Francis, Kansas on April 27, 1927, Bill experienced a childhood that built his character and formed his values. The death of his father from a Strep infection when he was 4 years old left his mother financially unable to care for him, his sister Marcia and brother Jack. At age 7, Bill was sent to the Hershey School for Boys, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He shared incredible stories about his experiences there, including that it was an absolute treat to receive buttered toast and hot cocoa on Sundays. One story involved his daughter Retta making his favorite desert. After finishing off several brownies, Bill stood up, turned east and instead of thanking Retta, proclaimed his love and gratitude to the Hersey factory for supplying the chocolate.

Bill attended high school at Denver South. He graduated and enlisted in the Navy after a few semesters of pre-med. Upon his return to Denver, he attended Medical School at the University of Colorado where he found a passion for pediatric medicine.

Bill inherited his love of books from his grandfather, John Williamson Ziegler, who was a book publisher in Philadelphia in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. Bill inherited his love of medicine from his 6th great grand-father, Richard Lockwood, who practiced in Connecticut and Maryland in the late 1600’s/early 1700’s.

Dr. Ziegler, “Dr. Z.” to his beloved patients, cared for children and their families in the Denver area for 45 years. His care, concern and attentiveness for his patients was unparalleled. Well into his retirement, he remained in contact with many of those for whom he had cared. He enjoyed knowing that his patients were well and had grown to have children of their own.

Bill loved books (he would read up to 8 books at a time), the English language and was obsessed with proper grammar. If you were lucky enough to receive a lesson from him about the usage of lie, lay, and lain, you were truly blessed. He was a lover of the beach, and spent many treasured family vacations in Mazatlan, Mexico, and Newport Beach, California. He was an avid runner, until his knees gave out, and then was an avid cyclist, until it just made more sense to work out indoors. Bill was the greatest Bronco’s fan, and he savored every meal he had, especially those that were home cooked by his beloved Mary.

Above all, Bill was a family man. He cherished time with his family and was deeply invested in each one’s lives and interests. Bill was preceded in death by his adored wife, Mary Ruth Kinnie Ziegler, his sister Marcia Ziegler, and his son, David Ziegler. He is survived by his daughters, Cindy Gilbert, Lyn Henderson, Susan Henderson, Amy Radvany, Retta Ziegler-Dunn, his son Stephen Caldwell, and his brother Jack. He remains adored by many grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren, who have many fond memories.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you find a good book, and cherish reading every line, just as Dr. Ziegler would.