Born in Sidney in 1937, Dr. Fletcher Everett Zimpher II remained a small-town boy at heart while accomplishing great things. After attending The Ohio State University to major in anatomy and play varsity lacrosse, he went on to medical school at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He followed that with an internship in Jackson, Mississippi. With the Vietnam Conflict raging, Fletcher temporarily put his medical residency on hold to join the U.S. Navy and train to become a flight surgeon. He was assigned to a marine squadron in Vietnam, where he courageously flew aboard 77 medevac missions to the front lines treating critically injured soldiers and marines. He was decorated six times for valor.
While still serving his country, he married Kathryn Wenstrup at Holy Angels. Returning to Vietnam, he completed his three-year tour of duty. After that time, he completed his residency at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital. Dr. Zimpher worked in occupational medicine and began to explore his emerging interest in the treatment of skin cancer. In 1971, he furthered his education and expertise by studying Mohs skin cancer treatment referred to as “Moh’s Chemosurgery.” He was fortunate to learn under the tutelage of Dr. Frederic Mohs himself, who had pioneered the treatment at the University of Wisconsin. Since skin cancer had a much higher incidence in sunny climates, Dr Fletcher left for Tempe, Arizona to establish his practice. He co-founded the Phoenix Dermatology Society in 1974.
He retired in 1996, but not before advancing the Mohs surgical technique throughout Arizona. Over the years in Arizona, he was active in the Presbyterian Church and numerous civic organizations. As a physician in the military and in private practice, Dr. Zimpher was always noted for his compassion, generosity towards the less fortunate, and his ability to make others more comfortable by laughing at himself. He was a man who accomplished much in his lifetime but never lost the small-town attitude of civic and spiritual involvement.