Ronald Devere

Ronald DeVere, MD, FAAN Ron DeVere was a gifted doctor and devoted husband, father, and grandfather who died peacefully on May 8, 2024 of Parkinson's disease and its related dementia. He was born to Leon and Sonya (Donin) Devere on March 23, 1944 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He attended local schools and excelled as a student. Through a special program, he skipped his senior year in high school and senior year in university to graduate from The University of Manitoba Medical School in May 1968. He then did his internship at LA County USC Medical Center in Los Angeles followed by his residency in Neurology at Hennepin County Hospital in Minneapolis. This was followed by a yearlong fellowship in Movement Disorders in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Knowing by then he did not want to return to Canada to practice, he joined The Hauser Clinic in Houston in 1974. In 1977 he left Hauser Clinic to form a partnership with Ray Martin, MD, a neurology colleague from his Minneapolis days. And in 1980 they merged with Len Hershkowitz, MD and Marty Steiner, MD to form Houston Neurology Associates where he practiced happily until 2000 when he decided to go solo. By 2002 he wanted to move to Lakeway (suburb of Austin) where he'd had a vacation home for many years. He set up a solo practice focused primarily on cognitive neurology and taste and smell disorders. It was during this time that he wrote two books, one on taste and smell disorders and the other on memory loss. He was a founding member of the Austin Cognitive Medicine Society, which was a group of primarily health care professionals who met quarterly to hear speakers and discuss topics related to cognition. He also gave numerous talks to both healthcare professionals and to the greater central Texas community. He believed education was vital to overcoming fear and seeking medical help when needed. He practiced until his health no longer permitted, closing the doors in December 2019. He married his college sweetheart, Sharron Cohen, also of Winnipeg, in August 1966. They had three sons, Brent, Todd and Ross, all of whom have made them very proud. Brent is married (Shelley Zent) and is a practicing lawyer in Austin. Todd married a medical school classmate (Theresa Schroeder) and followed in his father's footsteps practicing neurology in Honolulu. They are proud parents of the first three grandchildren: Jaden and Tyler, who are twins and their younger sister Chloe, all college students now in St. Louis, Boston, and Santa Barbara, respectively. Ross has a doctorate in clinical psychology and practices neuropsychology in the Austin area. He is married (Liat Grosz) and they are proud parents of the two youngest grandchildren: Zachary and Ian who are elementary school students in Austin. Ron and Sharron separated in January 1992 and their divorce was final in December 1993. While separated, he was reacquainted with a woman he had met briefly while still married. They began seeing each other in February of 1993 and as they say, the rest is history. After what they used to joke "was time off for good behavior" he married Colleen Coleman in Houston in September 1995. They shared many adventures together traveling the world, beginning with their honeymoon in Italy. Travels took them far and wide from ski trips in the Rockies and Canada and wine tasting in California to exploring Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and the Galapagos Islands. Closer to home he and Colleen enjoyed golfing and sailing, and dining with friends both here and in Houston. And of course, he loved spending time with the grandkids both here and in Hawaii. Ron loved music and played the piano by ear to the delight of friends and family. His mother was a piano teacher, but of course, he wasn't all that interested in lessons as a child. So much later, in the 1980s, he decided to get serious about learning to read music. Soon his music library was filling up the house-especially his beloved Broadway show tunes. Even a year ago he was still able to play piano very proficiently, proving again that music is an important part of dementia care. He was also an avid cyclist, riding locally almost daily. However, he enjoyed far flung adventures cycling the length of the California coast and in the mountains of Washington State, Italy and Alberta, Canada. He and his wife even purchased a tandem which they enjoyed together for several years until the move to Austin when she decided the hills were just too much. Ron is survived by his wife, his sons and their families, his sister Terri Mowchun (Winnipeg), his aunt Jackie Donin (Claremont CA) and numerous cousins and nephews and their families. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at Weed Corley Fish in Lakeway. The address is: 411 Ranch Road 620 S, Lakeway, TX. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ron's memory may be made to: Capitol Area Parkinson's Society or Swan Songs, both in Austin, TX, or the charity of your choice.

Ronald Devere

March 23, 1944 - May 8, 2024