Vietnam Vet, Pioneering Orthopedic Surgeon James Ford Cole Dies

James Ford Cole, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and Vietnam veteran, passed away on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at the age of 83 at Avantara-Huron in Huron, South Dakota.

Specializing in general orthopedic surgery, Cole had private practices in California and South Dakota and served as a surgeon in the U.S. army. While in California, he helped establish and build the Mammoth Lake Hospital and Urgent Care Center in Salinas.

Cole earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in 1968 and interned and entered residency at orthopedic and academic centers in Connecticut, Chicago, Denver, and South and Central California.

Dr. Cole’s first internship was at HCA HealthONE/Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, between 1968 and 1969. He completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, between 1973 and 1974.

“Jim had great pride in his work as a surgeon and was dedicated to successful outcomes for every patient,” his family wrote. “As a surgeon, Jim had met many medical professionals across the United States and knew exactly whom to call when faced with a medical challenge.”

Cole was born on March 15, 1940, to Evelyn and V. Ford Cole in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He went to high school at Fargo Central High School in Fargo, North Dakota, graduating in 1958, and then he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1962.

Before embarking on his medical education, he decided to travel the world while working on ships. He also served in the Vietnam War as field surgeon for the Army Medical Command.

Cole loved the outdoors and staying active. When he wasn’t with patients, he enjoyed flying his airplane and sailing his boat, as well as downhill skiing and golfing.

In 1997, he and his family moved to Huron, South Dakota, in search of the close community of smaller town life.

Cole was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Kimberlee Cole, his daughters Amanda Greer and Kathleen Hanrahan, their husbands and his grandchildren Samuel and Jemma. He also leaves behind his sisters, Susan DeJong and Deborah Cook; his niece, Sarah Cook; his nephew, Nathaniel Malen and his great niece and nephew Addison and Lucas.