Kenneth A. High March 16, 1933 - August 6, 2018 SOUTH BEND, IN - Kenneth Arvo High, MD … “Dr. Slick” -- Urologist, Entrepreneur, Inventor, Outdoorsman, Father -- was born March 16, 1933 In Mishawaka, IN to M. Maurie (Nuckols) High and Arvo H. High, both originally from Summer Shade, KY. His parents moved from Kentucky to Indiana shortly before he was born to pursue economic opportunity during the Great Depression. He passed away on the morning of August 6, 2018 at the age of 85, in Salt Lake City, UT after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was married to Dorothy Jean Vought Minshall High in South Bend, Indiana on September 17, 1954. She was the mother of his three children, Cynthia Marie High, Kenneth Brian High, and Kurt Thomas High. Dorothy and Ken were divorced in 1967. He later was married to Barbara Mary Keyser in Salt Lake City, UT on Nov. 1, 1969. They later divorced. He was married to Jennifer O'Loughlin in Missoula, MT on August 29, 1992. He was preceded in death by his parents, Maurie and Arvo High of Hanford, CA and by his first wife, Dorothy Jean (Vought)( Minshall) High of Salt Lake City, UT who died in 1986 (July 24, 1933 to November, 1986). His second wife, Barbara Mary Keyser, died on June 24, 1992 (February 10, 1945 to June 24, 1992). He is survived by his wife, Jennifer O'Loughlin, 66, of Billings, MT; his sister, June (High) (Parsons) Taylor of Hanford, CA, age 83; his 3 children, Cynthia Marie High (Zahir) Safi, 63, of Monrovia, CA, Kenneth Brian (Perrine) High, 58, of Salt Lake City, UT, and Kurt Thomas High, 55, of Florence, MT. He is also survived by his six grandchildren, Nicholas James (Pann) Mabe, 38, of Long Beach, CA, Zachary O. Safi, 32, of Monrovia, CA, Nadera Marie Safi, 30, of Monrovia, CA, Chellsee R. High, 32, of Monrovia, CA, Joel High, 16, of Salt Lake City, UT, and Eliza High, 20, of Salt Lake City, UT; and one great-grandson, Jaxton James Mabe, 4, of Long Beach, CA. Kenneth served his country honorably from 1953 -1955 in the U.S. Army. He performed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MI December 1953 to January 1954, and the second session at Fort Ord, CA February/March 1954. “They went from hell to heaven,” his colleague Snoop Blenner noted. After basic training, he joined the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles,” an elite paratrooper unit, in Fort Campbell, Kentucky/Tennessee in April 1954 until the end of his service in 1955. He selected jumping out of airplanes to avoid active combat in Korea. He stayed connected to the U.S. military through the VA hospitals, as he began his medical residency in urology at the VA hospital in Salt Lake City, UT, later practicing urology at the VA hospital in Helena, MT. Kenneth graduated from Riley High School, South Bend, IN in 1951 & Indiana University School of Medicine in 1960. He did his internship in Santa Ana, CA in 1962 & his residency in Monterey County Hospital, Salinas, CA from 1962-1963, completing his residency in urology at the U. of Utah School of Medicine in 1970 (July 1966-July 1970, he was at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT). In his early 20s, Kenneth considered a career as a professional golfer, but decided to pursue his medical career. He became a board certified urologist and practiced urology in Montana from 1969 to 2014 in Missoula, MT, Dillon, MT, Helena, MT and surrounding areas as a visiting physician. He spent the last two years of his medical career happily serving the VA hospital in Helena, MT. He said, “I loved every day, every moment, of being a doctor.” Ken always had a keen interest in business, and had studied business before he studied medicine. He was an avid fisherman, and combined his two loves -- fishing and medicine -- when he started the company, Dr. Slick, Instruments for Anglers, in 1987. Dr. Slick is a company which sells medical instruments for fly fishing and fly tying. His company became the leading wholesaler of fly fishing accessories worldwide, whereby his inventiveness and vision led to many patents and trademarks in the industry. He sold the business in 2008 and it is still a leading provider of fly fishing and fly tying equipment. In 2006, Ken High co-founded Swan Valley Medical with Ron Zook. His vision & passion to improve methods and procedures in supra-pubic cauterization ultimately led to the invention of the T-Speck catheter, which significantly improves the safety & quality of life for patients. Fly fishing and bird watching were Ken's preferred hobbies, and telling really dumb, silly jokes. He has fished all over the world, and had many hiking and wilderness adventures in Canada and the Western USA. Ken was an avid reader with varied interests, including American history, photography, Western art, several sports, and all things Montana. He gained sobriety in 1983 and became an active member and supporter of Alcoholics Anonymous for many years. His support for AA waned in recent years, but he remained sober until his passing. Kenneth A. High would have been honored if someone contributed in his name to: Montana Trout Unlimited, https://montanatu.org/; VA Hospitals in Salt Lake City, UT or Helena, MT A Celebration of Life Service will be held on October 6, 2018, at 1:00 pm at the Free Ceramics Studio Art Center, 650 Logan Street, Helena, MT 59601. For additional information contact Kenneth Brian High, Salt Lake City, UT, 801-450-6916, email kbhigh@hotmail.com. Written August 9, 2018 by C. High/K. B. High
08/20/2018 JFC
