Irwin Rosen, 81. Col. Irwin E. Rosen, ret. USAF, M.D. died Jan. 11, 2003, at the Paradise Valley Estates Retirement Community, Fairfield, CA. He was born July 5, 1922 in Chicago. Dr. Rosen graduated from University of Illinois and University of Illinois Medical School in 1946, and interned at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. He went into the army and was stationed in Tokyo, where he was a doctor for Tojo and other Japanese war criminals. He began orthopaedic residency at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. for one year and then transferred to Walter Reed Army Hospital for two years. He then changed to the Air Force and spent a one year residency at University of Iowa Hospital. Irwin practiced orthopaedic surgery in the Air Force for twenty years and was also flight surgeon, retiring in 1964 to go into private practice in Fremont, CA. He retired from medicine in 1991.
Irwin was an inveterate reader, being fond of history, particularly World War II, the biographies of political and military leaders, and the events of our time. He enjoyed traveling overseas and got to see much of the world. He loved music and his two miniature schnauzer dogs, Lucy and Stanzi. He became well-known at Paradise Valley Estates for his humorous, witty and touching stories of military medical life which were printed regularly in a monthly newsletter. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Betty Rosen; daughters, Billie Rosen of Arizona and Barbara Rosen of Santa Rosa; sons, Robert Rosen of Washington and Richard Rosen of Iowa; and grandchildren, Ezekiel Parnow of San Diego, Austin Parnow of San Luis Obispo and Megan Parnow of Santa Rosa.
