The Ohio Green Party is saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Donald L. “Don” Rucknagel, long‑time Central Committee member, healthcare justice advocate, and lifelong champion of peace.

Don devoted the last 25 years of his life to the fight for healthcare as a human right, including active leadership in SPAN Ohio/Healthcare for All Ohioans, working to win universal, publicly funded healthcare for every resident of our state. A physician–scientist internationally recognized for his pioneering work in sickle cell disease, he brought the same rigor, compassion, and persistence to grassroots organizing that he had brought to medicine.

Don joined the Ohio Green Party about a decade after its beginnings in the early 1990s and became a steady presence in our Central Committee and working committees, always centering healthcare for all, social justice, and nonviolence. He had been an early opponent of the Vietnam War, participating in teach‑ins at the University of Michigan in the 1960s, and remained a committed anti‑racism and peace activist throughout his long life.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Don’s family, Friends Meeting community, comrades in SPAN Ohio, and all who were touched by his bright, gentle spirit. In honoring his memory, we renew our commitment to the causes that defined his life: healthcare for all, racial justice, and a peaceful, sustainable future for the next generations.

from Cincinnati.com

Dr. Donald L Rucknagel, well known in Cincinnati for his leadership roles with the University Hospital's and Children's Hospital's sickle cell disease programs, passed away peacefully at home on February 14 at age 97. If someone never met Don, they would see a dapper elderly gentleman with a mustache and cane who struggled with hearing loss, but who had a ready smile and was glad when anyone sat with him.

Dr. Rucknagel's research career began in medical school, when he redirected his auto mechanic skills to inventing a machine to diagnose sickle cell disease from blood samples. He published over 150 articles in medical journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine. He did not retire until he was 90 years old. He devoted his last 25 years to fighting for health care access for all Ohioans.

From a childhood of poverty, Don learned to "pull his own weight". It went from chopping firewood to washing dishes when there were guests, to finally trying to help his caregivers using whatever wisps of strength he had left.

Late life activities included hiking while he was still able, which evolved into taking small road trips around Cincinnati and Dayton. He always joined family for independent, eclectic concerts as well as symphony. On a different note, however, a favorite memory is his reciting The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Many of us are familiar with it--the language is so vivid--but it really came to life in his voice. He had an amazing memory for poetry and song.

Don's energy to stay engaged in life came from the blessing of good health; in his young adulthood, he was able to ride his bicycle 100 miles per day once a month with the Ann Arbor Cycling Club; by a feisty competitiveness that came from his pioneer grandparents, aunts and uncles; from Vietnam war teach-ins at the University of Michigan followed by travel to Vietnam and many other developing countries; and from the continual awareness of injustice that was itself a result of staying involved. He was a lifelong anti-racism activist. He created balance by camping, gardening, and beekeeping.

Community Friends Meeting (Quakers) for Don was a peace church and that is why he joined it. Meeting life gave him not only an honest worship time, but also discussion groups, service opportunities, and a way to continue with integrity his lifelong devotion to "going to church" on Sundays. His faith always showed in his daily life.

As a senior citizen, Don loved the warm community of Northside Farmers Market and local family restaurants and businesses. He left six grandchildren and a daughter. In spite of some distance, his last words were by telephone to his daughter Dawn : "Bye bye sweetie. I love you". Many people will miss his bright, gentle presence. A memorial meeting is being planned for April.