Steven Ramberg Obituary

You will be with us forever....what an honor to have a friend and doctor like you. Thank you.

I have been friends with Steve for many years. I would drive from kcmo to Lawrence at first med so he help me when I needed a doctor. You could talk to him and he well listen to you. GOD BLESS HIM.

Celebrating Steven Ramberg ~John Scott, seconded by Linda Kenepaske.

A short excerpt from my internal ruminations over the years and especially since hearing belatedly a couple of weeks ago. How can Steve and I never meet again?

Steven Ramberg had already lived there a year or two when I arrived in a KU scholarship hall, a truly remarkable community of difference and similarity, adventure and security, distinction and conformity, a virtually uniterrupted production of display, reaction, argument, discussion, and bonhomie, enacted in and across our commons and our semi-private suites, and spilling out across campus. Intelligence vs testosterone within each exceptional fellow, mostly tempered by collegial eating, drinking & etc., ping-pong, cards and a generally hospitable ethos for visiting, for hanging out. Ramberg on the footpath, in the stairwell, at the or game or dinner table, at our door, on the adjacent chair. Already so very perceptively expressive, discursively and pathmarkingly interesting, wryly humorous, personally interested, and generous with his limited free time--Steve was becoming the excellent person he always remained. Major credit no doubt to his wonderful mother, who brought me in from the highway in Topeka as as I hitchhiked west one wintry night.

Steve Ramberg left the strictures of schol hall life a year or two before graduating, as many guys did, but he would drop by from time to time, always a welcome presence. When teaching himself piano Ramberg practiced in the living room on our grand. Other times he would come by our study/sleep suites with music, and/or art, and/or a book, such as 'A Materialist Theory of Mind,' which I'm sure he recovered after a loan of generous duration. Another evening Steve brought a bottle of wine, the first dry I ever tasted--eeuu, not sweet! Ramberg knew I'd get there eventually...

Ramberg disappeared from Lawrence before I graduated, but somehow we reconnected not long after after I returned in 1976. I recall Steve dropping in on Linda and me at our home near campus, always with droll stories, such as from his Gurdjieff sojourn, or from medical school preliminaries as an orderly at Lawrence General Hospital, or sharing some really good information and thoughts. We'd all talk about ideas, philosophies, art, national and international affairs, and people. Always Steve loved people, his friends of course, and especially his truly remarkable brothers, sisters and mother. Often Steve arrived with a gift, like music, a sweet, or I particularly recall a box of tea, marked "good to the sixth and seventh infusion." Who enjoyed tea like Ramberg?

Much later, with the Alumni Assn's information on alumni like Linda and me in New York, and Steven Ramberg, and many others, some of our scholarship hall cohort organized a reunion in Lawrence. When I found that Ramberg had settled in Lawrence, as so many of us would have loved to do, I pressed to rekindle our past rapport. My messages may have inspired the BBQ Steve hosted for returning hall alums at the Farm north of town. Linda and I were amazed to glimpse what Steve with his family and friends had established and built in common--it seemed a kind of paradise.

Steve and I stayed in as close touch as I ever manage with anyone outside my immediate home, profession, or neighborhoods. We emailed from time to time, so I learned more about Steve and Margaret as artists, and sometimes we brunched in downtown Lawrence when Linda and I passed through. We truly enjoyed several hearty days with Steve and Margaret in our City, while Linda and I briefly had a small art gallery at my Chelsea laboratory and studio. I was really glad that Steve wanted to visit our rural Pennsylvania place one of those days--talking in the car can be great, and Steve liked the grounds and our rescued antique house. Most recently Steve welcomed our leisurely visit through the Arizona Place home and studios, where Margaret returned to find us around food and a teapot at the kitchen table. Steve was brightly alert, while Linda and I soared on some of the most powerful though innocent-looking loose tea ever steeped.

Today after 47 years, I celebrate Steven Ramberg profoundly as a man of true greatness, and heartily as one of the very best persons who ever befriended me. From the beginning Steve always opened my eyes, whenever we got together. How can it be that we will never meet again?

I worked with Dr. Ramberg in the later 1980's at Southwest Boulevard Medicenter. He was wonderful to work with. A very caring and kind individual to everyone. Fantastic to work with. The best nursing job I ever had because of him.. I've thought of him so many times over the years. My sincerest condolences to his family.

We will miss him. He was a very good doctor.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Dr. Steve. As a patient of First Med it has been most comforting to know that if "our" doctor wasn't in or was too busy w preset appts the entire staff would take the time to listen and do their very best in a most caring fashion. To those at the "office", God's strength be with you; and all the best in finding a caring, loving doctor with half as much thoughtfulness as Dr. Ramberg. He will be missed

To Margaret and all the Rambergs, extended family and neighbors, my thoughts are with you all.
Never know what to say but hang in there and know if you need anything I am down the road. Carol Beth

We knew Dr Ramberg for close to 20 years. He was the kindest person, always showed genuine interest in helping his patients and also providing advice. He was also generous with his time and we never felt rushed. We miss him greatly. Please accept our condolences and may our prayers help comfort you.

Such a wonderful individual! There was a kindness in his nature that emanated like a benevolent aura.

I wish I had known him better. Like many of us, I have a tendency to take people for granted, but lately there have been many hard lessons in that respect. I did get to enjoy many of his artworks, and his occasional company at the parties which he and Margaret hosted for years. All my dealings with him were positive and enriching. He was a generous man, an intelligent man, a lovely man. I hate to lose him!

Dr Ramberg was my physician for about 15 years.I also took my dad in to see him. My dad couldn't remember his name so he called him Dr Rambo. Dr Steve just laughed. What an absolute amazing doctor he was, no non sense approach to healing. He will be missed by many. Prayers to his family & friends.

Margaret - my thoughts and prayers go out to you. May you find peace and comfort in the memories. Sending you hugs and love, Ann Connor

For 11 years Dr. Steve was my physician and my friend. I have multiple health issues, so I saw him pretty regularly. He was there for me through all of my graduate school years at KU and the birth of my younger son and the autism diagnosis of my older one. We talked about art, philosophy, and our shared love of medical and healing sciences and travel. I come from a family of physicians so we often had these elaborate discussions on procedures and/or east vs. west practices. Because I am Portuguese, we also talked about my home a lot and I was very happy when Steven and Margaret Rose got to visit my neck of the woods some time ago. We also shared a laugh and a good bottle of Portuguese wine now and then. He used to tell me that great things would happen in my life as I strived to get a hold of my medical conditions. I miss my dear friend and will always be inspired by his generosity and gentle spirit. I am glad that I was able to cook for him and share a meal with his family recently. And Margaret Rose I am really sorry for your loss, he always spoke the world of you to me and loved you very dearly. Rest in peace, beautiful soul.

He was my Doctor when I first moved to Lawrence. So sorry for your loss .He will be missed. M.J. Kurtz

I will never forget when my friend and colleague, Margaret, reconnected with and married this wonderful man! What a fun, talented and sweet person Steve was. My heart goes out to Margaret and all of the family.

Margaret,
So sorry to hear this news. My thoughts and prayers are with you at the difficult time!
Mary Beasley

Steve was such a kind, sweet, and generous person. Growing up he was not only my physician at First Med but also a family friend. When visiting the farm and hanging with the girls we would often go visit their house, which was open to us even when they weren't home. I'm so sorry for the loss of this wonderful man, and send my love to all his family, many of whom I know well. Love and peace to all.

I will surely miss Dr Ramberg. He was the best Dr anyone could ask. So caring and thoughtful. My prayers and thoughts are with his entire family.

So sorry to hear this. Condolences to his family.

He was a great doctor, and will be missed.

Dr. Steve will be dearly missed. He was loved by many. His love light shines on in us.

I'm so sorry to hear of Steve's death, we were classmates at HHS. It appears he had a full life with many friends and a loving family. My condolences to them all.

His sense of humor brought so much laughter to First Med. I will miss his gentle, caring spirit. My prayers are with his family as they process this loss of a great man.

I worked with Dr. Ramberg for 5 years, he was an amazing physician. He will be greatly missed.

Dr. ramberg was a very nice man he was my doctor Iam very sorry for your loss

Steve was my friend growing up in Hannibal, I still live in the neighborhood we grew up in and drive by the Ramberg house (it will always be the Ramberg house to me). We had a lot of good times when we were playing in the neighborhood. It was a shock
when I saw Steve had passed this morning on Facebook. Wish I would have stopped to see him on our trips to Colorado to see our son.
Tom Bleigh

I was so sad to hear of Steven's passing but know he was surrounded by his loving family and friends. Sending love to you on this sad day.

Prayers go out to Steve's family. I agree with Faye - what a wonderful career to help others as a physician. He certainly made the most of his life. Hannibal High classmate

Dr Ramberg treated me at First Med many times. The community of Lawrence lost a fine person of the medical community and First Med as well. We both shared stories of his medical practice and his work in Kansas City as I grew up in that area.

Condolences to his family and his staff and fellow doctors at First Med. That office is a family and treats the patients as part of the family. Anyone who needed a doctor was lucky to have him and his diagnosis for the patient.

David Holroyd

So sorry to hear about Steve! He was always a nice classmate and a friend to many. I remember him being in the Tom and Becky finalists......so cute. I see that Steve became a physician and gave his life to helping others. That is wonderful. He will be missed by many.

My condolences. Dr. Ramberg was my personal physician for a number of years, and he always treated me well. He had a great sense of humor and always spend a lot of time listening to me. He will be greatly missed.

I have only good memories of the time that Steve and I were classmates in Hannibal. We lost touch after he moved away but I am happy to hear that he had an interesting and full life. Sad that he is gone so soon. RIP, Steve.

With sympathy,

Marilyn Burns

So sorry for the loss of Steve. I believe his dad worked at Western Printing with my dad. Ironically Steve and I were Born in the same city, Owatonna,
Mn.