Obituary of Dr. Enrico V. Rallos

Dr. Enrico “Rico” Rallos, one of Logan County’s best known and most respected physicians, died on March 26, 2020, after a lengthy battle with congestive heart failure. He was 78 years old. Rico trained as a surgeon, but spent most of his career in family medicine. At the time he withdrew from active practice, in 2007, he was on staff at Gilbert Medical Center. His work at Gilbert culminated a 36-year career serving the people of West Virginia. He had started work as an emergency department physician at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital after completing his formal medical training in 1971. Rico’s journey to West Virginia actually started at a time long ago and in a place far away. Enrico V. Rallos was born on October 2, 1941 in the Philippines, one of three children born to Ambrosio and Rosa Rallos. His birth occurred just two months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, on December 7, and invaded the Philippines, on December 8. Rico was born in the town of Nagcarlan in Laguna province. When he reached school age his parents moved to the island of Mindanao as homesteaders. Mindanao was so under-developed at the time that no schools had yet been built. So Rico stayed behind and lived with his grandparents in Nagcarlan. Always a conscientious student, he went on to attend college at Manila Central University in Manila, later earning his M.D. there in 1965. With his heart set on advanced medical education in the United States, Rico secured an internship at Southside Hospital in Pittsburgh, and completed a residency in general surgery at Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital. It was there that he met the love of his life, and his wife of 50 years, Carolyn Rockwell. Their relationship almost ended before it began, as Carolyn who worked in the business office – considered it inappropriate to go out with a physician. After numerous requests for a date, she finally relented and accompanied him to the movies. To be polite, she told him it would be OK to “call me sometime.” He did, as soon as he got home, and they ended up talking for hours. The rest, as they say, was history, and his marriage to Carolyn sealed Rico’s fate as a permanent transplant to West Virginia. Rico was one of the West Virginia’s most avid high school football fans. He gave free physical exams to generations of student athletes in Man and Gilbert. He also liked traveling statewide to see Man High School compete. To recognize his decades of volunteer service to the school, he was initiated into the Man High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Class of 2010. Rico worked hard to stay up-to-date on best practices, but did possess some innate medical instincts that served his patients well. During his days as a surgeon, for example, he handled countless appendix and gall bladder removals. He took pride in saying he could diagnose a “hot appendix” (one needing immediate treatment) just by looking a patient in the eyes. Also, despite his success in adapting to medical innovations, Rico hung onto some quaint “baby boomer” habits that endeared him to family and friends alike. Brushing off any allegations of nerdiness, he insisted that all of his shirts, even T-shirts, have a pocket on the front to hold his glasses, pens and other items. At the time his medical office was sold, in 1995, he was still using a rotary dial phone that could have been taken from the set of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson’s TV show. Rico’s friends remember him not only as a passionate football fan but as a consummate salesman. One reason he needed shirt pockets was to ensure easy access to the tickets he was always selling for local raffles and charitable events. While others may have struggled to meet quota, Rico’s charm always guaranteed results. His associates at the Man Lions Club, the Man Quarterback Club and the Bruce McDonald Memorial United Methodist Church knew him as a man who could sell coal to anthracite miners and ice cubes to Eskimos. Rico’s other talents led to his reputation as the “Renaissance Man” of Man. He was a master carpenter, an accomplished gardener and a gourmet chef of Filipino cuisine. Rico loved taking his family on fishing trips to Florida, thanks to a second home in St. Augustine. Rico was a man’s man in certain respects. His favorite films were Westerns and World War II movies. But he wasn’t afraid to break the meat-and-potatoes stereotype when it came to food for special occasions. For birthdays he always requested an apricot nectar cake. And speaking of birthdays, his philosophy on them reflected a trademark sense of humor: “I like birthdays,” he said, “because the alternative is worse.” When working full-time, Rico was known around the house as a man of few words. Family members thought it was because, being in such a demanding profession, he used up most of his words at work. The upside of this quiet side was an easy going manner in making routine household decisions. When it came time to pick a vacation spot, or even select a menu for dinner, he was happy to go along with the crowd. This does not mean Rico would not assert himself if the occasion required. If asked, for example, if he wanted another dog, he would always respond with a resounding “no.” then, when the new pet arrived anyway, Rico would inevitably begin feeding it, letting it outside, and encouraging it to sit with him (before anyone else) on the couch. While his health declined in recent years, his involvement in the community did not. He remained active with his favorite group of friends, “the Hardee Boys,” who met every day for coffee and gossip in one of Man’s venerable fast food establishments. Daughter Renee, who has lived away from Man ever since graduating from high school, says everyone who knew Rico looked up to him. “He was one of the few physicians serving our town,” she says, “so there weren’t many people who didn’t know who he was. The football players remembered him fondly, even many years after graduating, because he always attended their games. The thing our family will miss most of all is his steady presence. I believe the same is true for the community at large.” Rico’s influence extended well beyond the confines of Logan County, as a result of his involvement in professional associations. He was an active member of both the American Academy of Family Physicians and the West Virginia Medical Association. Locally, he belonged to – and once served as president of – the Logan County Medical Society, which honored him as “Doctor of the Year” in 1994. He also was a founding member of the Man Lions Club and the Man Quarterback Club, and served as president of both organizations as well as other positions. Rico was faithful member of Bruce McDonald Memorial United Methodist Church. He served on the Administrative and Trustees Boards as well as a member of Methodist Men. Carolyn often drafted him into helping with the church’s birthday calendar project. Rico is survived by his wife, the former Carolyn Lee Rockwell. One daughter, Margaret Jane Rallos Ansay, lives in San Francisco, along with her spouse Gener Ansay. Daughter Rosa Renee Lucille Rallos lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rico’s Brother, Jovenal Rallos who preceded him in death. Jovenal’s surviving spouse Caridad lives in the Philippines. Rico’s sister, Rosanie Fordan, and her spouse, Rodolfo Fordan, live in Calgary, Canada. Surviving grandchildren include Christopher, Joshua and Jericho Ansay, all of San Francisco. Surviving in-laws include Carolyn’s sister, Anna Goodall, and her spouse Huey Goodall of West Virginia. Carolyn’s other sister, Mary Stanley, lives with her spouse Bill Stanley in Maryland. Surviving nieces and nephews living in the United States include Scott and Brian Goodall of West Virginia, Lisa Finkenbiner of Pennsylvania and Sarah Stanley Halvorsen of Maryland. Those living in the Philippines include Jovenal Rallos II, Jonas Rallos III and Charity Rallos. Those living in Calgary, Canada, include Harvey, Hubert and Leo Fordan. The great nieces and nephews who survive include Olivia Castriota of New York, Taylor Goodall of West Virginia, Connor Halvorsen of Maryland, Isabel Peeples of Maryland, and Justus and Wilhelm Fordan of Calgary, Canada. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, a private graveside service for immediate family was held at Highland Memory Gardens at Godby, WV. Please join us for an open-house reception in honor of what would have been Dr. Rallos' 82nd birthday on Saturday September 30, 2023 at Bruce McDonald Memorial UMC Fellowship Hall. We hope friends, former co-workers, former patients from Man, Gilbert, and around the area will stop by to say hello. We'd love for you to share your favorite memory of Dr. Rallos. Krantz-McNeely Funeral Home is serving the Rallos family. The family would like to acknowledge the staffs of Logan Regional Medical Center and Dignity Hospice who provided loving care to Rico and steady support to his family during Rico’s final illness. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rico’s memory may be directed to the Man Lions Club Scholarship Fund (511 E. McDonald Ave., Man, WV 25635)