Schenck, Robert C, Jr

English

University of New Mexico

Paying Respects to a Dedicated Hand Surgeon 
and Family Man, Dr. John M. Veitch 
Robert C. Schenck Jr, MD*
*UNM Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
Dr. John Morrison Veitch died peacefully at his house on 
January 18, 2015, after a brief battle with brain cancer, sur-
rounded by loving family. John was 69 years old.
John was the middle child of five siblings born to Abner 
and Bessie Veitch. He was raised in Lisbon, North Dakota. 
His father, Abner, was a country doctor who had a clinic 
and surgery suite in the front of their home. John attend-
ed the University of North Dakota for 3 years and went on 
to the college’s medical school with his brother, Bob, for 2 
years. John completed his third and fourth years at the Uni-
versity of Minnesota, during which he met Mary Ellen and 
married her on the day after graduation. They were married 
for 44 years.
John did his surgery internship in Indianapolis, Indi-
ana, where Mary Ellen and he welcomed their son Andrew 
(Andy) into the world. After finishing the internship, John 
began his public service obligation in the United States 
Army as a chief medical officer. He was stationed for 2 years 
at Fort Greely in Alaska and 1 year at Fitzsimmons Army 
Hospital (now Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center) in Den-
ver, Colorado. John and Mary Ellen welcomed their second 
son, Charles (Charlie), while in Alaska. After 3 years of ser-
vice, John was honorably discharged as major. 
In the 1970s, John underwent his orthopaedic residency 
and hand fellowship training at the University of New Mex-
ico (UNM) under Dr. George E. Omer. Soon after, John and 
Mary Ellen moved their young family to Fort Dodge, Iowa, 
so John could begin his private practice. But, not surpris-
ingly, the Land of Enchantment called them back, with an 
opportunity to move his practice alongside Dr. Stanley R. 
Lehman in Roswell, New Mexico. John worked for 13 years 
as a general orthopaedic surgeon and, with Mary Ellen, 
raised his two boys in southern New Mexico.
After their kids graduated from Goddard High School in 
Roswell, the couple moved to Joplin, Missouri, because the 
chance had arisen for John to be primarily a hand surgeon 
(hand surgery being his true passion in orthopaedics). John 
had a busy practice in Joplin for 10 years. He tried his hand 
at retirement but grew bored, and subsequently UNM De-
partment of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation would become 
very lucky. John accepted a position at UNM as a part-time 
faculty member in the division of hand surgery, working for 
the UNM orthopaedics department for 7 years before retir-
ing in 2010—this time sans boredom. John, an outstand-
ing teacher, was awarded the UNM Orthopaedic Faculty 
Instructor of the Year in 2004. He was an active member 
of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and 
American Association for Hand Surgery.
Outside of orthopaedics, John loved spending time with 
his family, hiking and hunting in New Mexico, reading (es-
pecially biographies), studying foreign languages, and of 
course, John was a big fan of the New Mexico Lobos. He 
is survived by his siblings, Tom, Bob, Jim, and Marge; his 
loving wife, Mary Ellen, and their two sons, Andy (Class of 
2003) and Charlie, along with Andy’s wife, Beth; and two 
granddaughters, Elle and Emma. John would have been 70 
years old on February 15th, 2015. We will miss him dearly.
UNM Orthopaedics Journal 201572 73In Memoriam


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