Arnold I. Roth MD

If you knew my dad, you know that there is no one else in the world like him. He was an incredible internal medicine physician and diagnostician. Here is just one tiny example of his skill: In 2019 my dad looked at my routine labwork, noticed that my calcium level was high for me (though not alarmingly high so I think most MD’s would have missed it) and without needing any other evidence told me he thought I might have a mass on one of my parathyroid glands. After more labs and imaging confirmed he was right I had surgery within 4 months.

To my dad, his patients were also his family. For six years I worked in registration at San Antonio Regional Hospital and I would often check in his patients without them knowing I was his daughter. I loved hearing how they talked about him. They trusted him, they respected him, and if he really liked them, they were sarcastic with him. For a long time growing up I was jealous of his patients. I didn’t want to have to share him, because that time with his practice was time away from home. He worked so hard that he avoided vacations because, he said, he didn’t want to come back to piles of work. But honestly I think he didn’t want to be away from his patients. So, any time my dad went on a vacation it was special. Yosemite, Alaska, the Grand Canyon, the Oregon coast, New Orleans, these are all places that we got to enjoy as a family, and now can cherish forever with the pictures that he took when we went.

His love for baseball and the Yankee’s has shaped me too. The sound of a game on tv gives me as much happiness as being there in person; it’s like a comfort food. I’m so glad we got to see so many Yankee’s games together, even if they were at Angel’s stadium. I don’t want to talk about the last game we saw together in New York at the new stadium- I’ll just say it was against the Indians and it did not go well. We did get to see Jeter and Rivera play in their last season’s and that was such a cool thing to experience together.

Mostly, I’m so proud to be his daughter. He and my mom worked so hard to provide an incredible life for Michael and me. While my dad was not a talkative man, he did enjoy being silly. Some of you saw his performance in the San Antonio Regional Hospital variety show and I’m proud to say I put my theatre degree to use to coach him and teach him his lines. What I did not expect was how much he hammed it up when he got on stage and heard the audience laugh. He had a grand time.

My dad was a force of nature, a light, a leader, a healer. It’s so hard to imagine moving through life without his dry humor, his unrivaled brain, his massive heart. I’m actually glad that the world stopped last year because it gave us so much extra time just to be at home together. He taught me how to play backgammon and I can proudly say I beat him maybe 3 of the 50 or so times we played.

For two and a half years I’ve known I would have to write this, or something like it. Still, nothing prepared me for the pride I would feel for my mom, brother and I for everything we did. Even the tough stuff was bearable because at least we were together. I felt the energy of all the patients whose lives he saved, and of the families he took care of when there was nothing more he could do, I felt them move through me as we took care of him. It was an honor to be with him and make his passing as peaceful and comfortable as possible.

There is no filling the void he leaves, though.

One of the greatest gifts my dad got for our family was tickets to the Beethoven symphony cycle at the Disney concert hall. We were in the last row of the balcony and so far back there was a sound delay at each performance but I absolutely treasure that experience. And we got to return the favor by blasting the symphonies at top volume on his last day here. We literally bathed him in the sound of our love. I can think of no better gift to give him in return for all the gifts he gave our family. I hope that I can live up to his legacy, and even if I don’t, I’m honored to try. Sending love to all who loved him, how lucky we were to walk this Earth together.

April 29, 2021