May 6, 1948-October 25, 2020
“DR. BILL”
A LIFE THAT TOUCHES OTHERS GOES ON FOREVER.
The Western Slope has lost an amazing man. Dr. Bill lost his battle with cancer on October 25, 2020, surrounded by his loved ones.
Bill was born to Robert Wolfe and Doris Randolph in Cheyenne, WY. He began his undergraduate coursework at the University of Wyoming, graduating with honors in 1970 and receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology. Pursuing his dream, he attended the Oregon Health and Science University, becoming a Doctor of Medicine in 1974. He went on to complete two rigorous and fulfilling internships at the Long Beach VA and the Orange County Hospital in California.
As a medical student, Bill was not drafted to the Vietnam War, but provided medical care to the underserved for two years, one year in Lusk, WY and the other in Sidney, MT. After completing his internal medicine residency in Oregon, he returned to Sidney where he fell in love and married Karen Thom, a laboratory technologist in the clinic at the time. Choosing private practice, he and Karen spent a decade in Montana and South Dakota before finding their forever home in Grand Junction, CO. They raised four children there, and theirs was a busy home with both their own and their children’s friends enjoying the hospitality for which they were renowned. Weather permitting, they could always be found competing with one another on the golf course and when they weren’t enjoying the outdoors, tuned-in to watch football.
Bill left private practice and joined the Grand Junction VA Medical Center in 1987 as a staff physician. He was dedicated to the VA mission and took great pride in serving our country’s veterans. During his 25-year tenure, Dr. Bill advanced to Chief of Medicine, and ultimately Chief of Staff. During his positions of leadership, he always continued to see patients and was regarded by his peers for his vast medical intellect, approachable style and compassionate care.
The Primary Care Model was conceived and implemented at the GJ Medical Center in 1988. Dr. Berryman pioneered the model and was considered the source of expertise on its applications and benefits. For the first time in VA history, each patient would have a dedicated team, consisting of a physician, a nurse, a clerk, and a social worker, to oversee and coordinate care. This innovation became the standard of care across the VA system. In recognition of this achievement, he was awarded the prestigious Mark Wolcott Award for Clinical Excellence in 1998.
In September of 1999, the Veterans Medical Center in Grand Junction, the smallest VA hospital at that time in the country, received the Department of Veterans Affairs most acclaimed award, The Robert W. Carey Quality Award, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. This trophy and the subsequent Presidential Quality Award in 2001 were a direct result of Dr. Berryman’s leadership and guidance.
Dr. Berryman retired from the VA in 2012. In 2017, he re-established the Good Samaritan Clinic of Western Colorado as a safety-net for uninsured people in the community. He especially enjoyed his volunteer time as Medical Director and saw patients at the Saturday clinic. He continued to “press-on” and establish a permanent location for the clinic - He truly made a difference.
In 2008, his wife Karen lost her battle to ovarian cancer. In 2011, Bill met Nancy Fehrmann of Basalt, CO and found a wonderful companion to enjoy retirement. He instilled in Nancy his love of golf, and his last years were filled with travel and social events with friends at Bookcliff Country Club. He was an avid college football and Bronco fan and loved attending the entire JUCO tournament every year. They were both very proud of their community volunteerism.
Bill enjoyed his final summer months entertaining family and friends on the back patio by his beloved pool, dressed in one of his favorite Hawaiian shirts, enjoying a Bud Lite. Everyone will miss his cheery smile, friendly demeanor, sense of humor, and generous spirit.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents and his loving wife, Karen Berryman. He is survived by his children, Janie (Michael) Pommerer, Eric (Courtney) Berryman, Daniel (Melissa) Berryman, and Nicole Berryman. His grandchildren, Hayden, Quinten, Caryn, Hale, Derek and Ellie, will well remember summer visits with Papa-Doc and endless jumps off the diving board while winter visits were filled with wild domino games and televised football.
Additional survivors include his sister, Linda (Ray) Juarez; his brother, Charlie (Renee) Berryman; his loving companion, Nancy Fehrmann; and her daughter, Katie Roach, whom Bill also loved dearly. He was particularly grateful for the care given to him during his illness by Nancy and Katie.
In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation in his memory to: Good Samaritan Clinic of Western Colorado, 402 Grand Ave. GJ, CO 81501 or Hope West Hospice Care Center, 3090 North 12th Street, Unit B, GJ, CO 81506. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held in late spring of 2021.
“And when great souls die, after a period, peace blooms slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill with a kind of soothing electric vibration. Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper to us – they existed, they existed. We can be. Be and be better for they existed.”
-Maya Angelou
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