Ralph R. Hall, M.D.

Ralph R. Hall, M.D., nephrologist, endocrinologist and medical educator, died peacefully on August 14, 2026, of metastatic lung cancer at 100 years of age.

Hall was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1926 and then moved to Leoti, Kansas, where he attended Wichita County Community High School. He lettered in football, basketball, and track for all four years of high school. An accomplished distance runner, he remained undefeated in the mile and 880 yard runs during his high school years. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1944 to 1946 before continuing his education at Kansas State University and then graduating from the University of Denver in 1951, where he received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and lettered in track and cross country.

Hall earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1957 and completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital, where he developed a special interest in kidney disease. He completed his fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in LaJolla, California, where he published papers on thyroid disease, fat metabolism, exercise and related areas of medicine.

In 1962 Hall became Director of Medical Education and Research at St. Luke’s Hospital and then Assistant Dean and Director of Education and Research at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri until 1980. He was the vice president of Medical Affairs at Lutheran Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, and a clinical professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine until 1987. He was Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs at Long Beach Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, California, and an associate dean at the University of California at Irvine from 1987 to 1994.

Throughout his career, Hall was passionate about educating physicians and teaching the public about the importance of nutrition and exercise. In 1966, he established a special course for physicians in Nutrition and Exercise and was a founder of the Hospital Hill Run in Kansas City in collaboration with the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine.

During his tenure at St. Luke’s Hospital, Hall founded one of the first chronic dialysis programs in the United States and was co-founder of the first cardiac rehabilitation center in Kansas City. He was a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and served on its Board of Directors from 1975 to 1982 and was a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American Federation of Clinical Research.

From 1993 until 2008, Hall served as Associate Editor of Internal Medicine Alert, where he reviewed and published more than 210 articles on current medical research and developments in medicine.

Even as his medical career evolved, Hall never abandoned his love of sport and running remained an important part of his life. He competed until he was 84 years old, including setting an age group record in the 440-yard dash in 1981. He also ran the Pikes Peak Ascent ten times and was the age group winner in many road running races including the Colorado Triple Crown of Running during his athletic career. He climbed Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjaro and traveled in many countries as a physician and adventurer.
Those people who were closest to Ralph will remember that beneath the physician, educator, athlete and innovator, he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His professional titles, awards and accomplishments tell only part of his story. The deeper measure of his life can be found in the family he loved, the students and physicians he mentored, the patients and colleagues he served, and the countless people he encouraged to live healthier and more purposeful lives.

Hall’s life reflected the very principles he spent his career teaching: that medicine, education, movement, curiosity, and a commitment to others can profoundly shape a life. He leaves behind a legacy that reached far beyond the hospital and classroom. His adventures may have come to an end, but the trail he created continues through all of those whose lives he touched.

He was preceded in death by his wife Alyce Josephine Hall and his brother Albert Edward Hall of Wichita, Kansas.

Hall leaves behind his four children: daughter Sandra Lynn Strahler and her husband Michael Strahler of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; son Spencer Bradley Hall of Kansas City, Missouri; son Jeffrey Kent Hall and his wife Jennifer Hall of Spring Hill, Kansas; and daughter Shelley Downing and her husband Michael Downing of Boulder, Colorado. He also leaves behind six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at a later date.