F. Calvin Bigler, M.D., 79, of Winfield, Kansas, passed away Friday evening, July 16, 2010 at William Newton Hospital in Winfield.

Born June 29, 1931 in Oil Hill, two miles northwest of El Dorado, Kansas, he was the son of Frank William and Ethel (Jones) Bigler. He was raised and received his education in the El Dorado area graduating from El Dorado High School in 1949. He then attended Yale College on a full academic scholarship. In 1953 he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. In 1954 he accepted a Fulbright Graduate Fellowship, Research at Pathology Institute, at the University of Munich in Germany. In 1957 he graduated as an M.D., from Yale University School of Medicine.

Calvin was united in marriage to Phyllis Jean Riggs on June 27, 1954 in El Dorado. In 1957 the couple moved to Cooperstown, New York where Calvin worked as an Intern at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital. In 1958 he joined the United States Coast Guard and proudly served his country as a General Medical Officer on the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservation. In 1960 Calvin returned to Cooperstown where he began his residency in general surgery, at Bassett Hospital.

After completing his education the family moved to Morehead, Kentucky where Calvin began a private practice in surgery. In 1968 he began a fellowship in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The family returned to Kansas in 1969 when they moved to Garden City where Calvin practiced general surgery for over 20 years. In 1990 the couple returned to Indian Health Service to build a surgical program in Shiprock, New Mexico. In 1996 Calvin and Phyllis moved to Liberal, where they remained until his retirement in 2004. During his distinguished career he served as President of Kansas Medical Association, and also served as Governor of America College of Surgeons in Kansas

Calvin enjoyed education, and was a lifelong student. While in Garden City he worked with surgical residents to help them learn the profession which he loved. He also loved spending time with his family at their cabin in Colorado which has been in the family for generations. He was known by his grandchildren as "Grandpa Biscuits" because of the times he would spend teaching them the proper way to make his homemade biscuits.

His family includes:
His wife: Phyllis Jean of the home;
His sons: Dr. Carl Bigler and wife, Dr. Jane Bigler of Flagstaff, AZ; Ben Bigler and wife, Beckie of Edmond, OK; Jon Bigler and wife, Lori of Ashland, KS; Dr. Mark Bigler and wife, Kathryn of Bowling Green, KY;
His daughter: Heidi Bolt and husband, Curtis of Chanute, KS; and
His 15 grandchildren.

In addition to his parents Calvin was preceded in death by his sister Janet Lundeen.

Funeral service will be held at 10:00 A.M., on Friday, July 23, 2010 at First United Methodist Church in Winfield. A private family interment will take place in La Veta, CO at a later date. Friends may call at Miles Funeral Service in Winfield from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. Thursday July 22, 2010. The family will greet visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 that evening.
A Memorial has been established in Calvin's name for Southwestern College William Bigler Scholarship fund and for the Southwestern College Richardson Hall Renovation Fund. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.