Opal Mae Zschiesche

Opal Mae Bohall Zschiesche, M.D., was born August 31, 1937 to Luther Dale Bohall and Rachel Francita Webb Bohall in Russell, New York. She passed away June 20, 2021 at the age of 83 at her home in Oklahoma City, OK. She was preceded in death by her father, her sister Betty Bohall, her mother and her eldest brother Lee Bohall. She is survived by her brother Elton Bohall and his wife Judith in Watervliet, New York and her son Dale Zschiesche living in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Opal began her schooling one day after turning 5 years old and graduated as the Valedictorian of her class from the Clifton-Fine school system at age 16. With the help of several local ministers, she was able to attend the Christian liberal arts college at Houghton College, Houghton, NY, where she earned a BA majoring in Chemistry. Due to difficulties being accepted at a medical university, she had an eighteen-month break in her schooling when she worked for faculty at Houghton. She was accepted for the medical program at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, where she earned her M.D. in 1963. After graduation, she was awarded an internship and residency at the University of Oklahoma in conjunction with the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City, OK. During her residency, she took a one-year fellowship in Gastroenterology under Dr. Jack Welch who brought the first flexibly enterology scopes to Oklahoma.After completing her residency, Dr. Z was hired by the VA Medical Center and held various chief positions to include Chief of Outpatient Medicine which included the Emergency Room, Chief of Rehabilitative Medicine and lastly as the Chief of Occupational Health and Community Medicine where she oversaw the inspections of the state-owned veterans nursing homes as well as the health of the VA Medical Center employees and volunteers. Dr. Z retired from the VA Medical Center at the end of July in 1999. After retirement she worked for the Federal Occupational Health in Oklahoma City as well as the Occupational Health clinic in Enid, OK.Her hobbies included reading and writing poetry, bird watching, photography and gardening. She took courses from the OSU extension service in Oklahoma City and became a Master Gardener and achieved the rank of Senior Master Gardener. She was quite adventurous and attended several National Audubon Society camps, learned how to square dance, learned how to rappel off rocks and even took a hot air balloon ride as well as a ride on a powered parachute.In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please make your donations to the National Audubon Society in her name. Services to celebrate Opal's life will be 2:00 PM Saturday July 24, 2021 at the Smith & Kernke N. May Avenue Chapel. www.smithandkernke.comServices may be viewed via livestream by clicking the View Funeral Service tab below.