Colonel Evan Roy Goltra, M.D., passed away in San Antonio, Texas, on Monday, January 12, 1998 at the age of 74.  Born on August 2, 1923 in Hollywood, California to Evan and Lona Ethel Goltra, he had been living in Floresville, Texas, since his retirement in 1988 from Kerr McGee.

Throughout his life, Dr. Goltra devoted his exceptional talents to the benefit of those around him.  He entered the US Army Medical Corps in July, 1948, after receiving his degree of Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College in 1943 and Doctor of Medicine in 1947 from Long Island College of Medicine.  He was also awarded a MPH degree with Honors in 1957 by Harvard University School of Public Health.

His remarkable military career spanned three decades and several continents and was followed by equally distinguished service in industrial medicine first with the ALCOA Company in Rockdale, Texas, and later with Kerr McGee in Oklahoma.  During this period he became a Diplolate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine, both for Aviation Medicine and for occupational Medicine.  He was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, the Aerospace Medical Association, and the American Public Health Association.  He was also a member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, American Occupational Medicine Association, Texas Public Health Association, and American Academy of Occupational Medicine.

In service to his country, he saw duty at Camp Edwards, Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Walter Reed Army Hospital, Washington, DC; Murphy Army Hospital, Waltham, Massachusetts; the Army Language School, Monterey, California; the Joint Brazilian-US Military Commission, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Westover AFB, Massachusetts; Scool of Aviation Medicine, Randolph AFB, San Antonio, Texas; MacDill AFB, Florida; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Fort Wainwright, Alaska; and Brooks AFB, San Antonio, TX, retiring as a full colonel.

He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Elfriede; two sisters, Juanita Henley of Palmer, Alaska, and Lucille Brown of Van Nuys, California; daughter Patricia Ann VanHensbergen, her husband, Karel and sons, Johan and Martin, all of Sassenheim, Holland and her daughter Jennifer Heermann of Cincinnati, Ohio; daughter Susan Jon Danton, her hsband David, and son, Matthew Evan, all of Haddonfield, New Jersey; daughter, Deborah Jane Goltra of Austin, Texas; and daughter Cathryn Gail Cantilo, her husband Patrick, and sons, Micahel, Daniel, and Nicholas, all of Austin, Texas.

Dr. Goltra will be missed dearly by all whose lives his generous works touched and all whose days were made brighter by his brilliance and good humor.  The love of his family and friends will preserve his spirit in thought and in deed, his mission becoming their own, his accomplishments the guideposts.

Interment with Full Military Honors in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

Austin American-Statesman, January 13, 1998