Ellis Rand, 79, Pioneering Surgeon From Huntington

Ellis rand, a surgeon who pioneered techniques to men bones, died Friday at Hungtington Hospital, where he worked before retiring. He was 79.

"He was a very fine doctor, very meticulous and precise in his work and very humane," said Ralph Deliso, who became a close friend after the orthopedist operator on Deliso's mother-in-law.

Dr. Rand was the first at Huntington Hospital to perform a spinal fusion, and the first there to create a hip prosthesis made totally of cemety, Deliso said.

Born the son of an eye surgeon in Manhattn, Dr. Rand lived half of his life in Huntington.

In 1930, he received his undergraduate degree from Columbia College in Manhattan and received his medical degree three years later from the Collegeof Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. After an internship at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattna, he studied bone surgery at Jersey City Medical Center.

After becoming a general surgeon for the Veterans Administration in Chicago, Dr. Rand joined the 98th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in Hawaii, where he treated World War II casualties, including prisoners of war.

In 1952, Dr. Rand moved to Hunginton, where he practiced for 28 years at the hospital until 1980, when heart problems forced him to becomea consultant.

Dr. Rand is survived by his wife, Susan of Huntington; a son, James of Rochester, Minn.; and two grandchildren.

Visiting hours will be 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow at the M.A. Connell Funeral Home in Huntington Station. A service will be held 8:30 p.m. tomorrow at the funeral home. Dr. Rand will be buried Wednesday along side his daughter in Lebanon, Mo. ( also buried next to his first wife, Alice Leona (Davis) Rand who he was married to 37 years.)

Note from Sandy: Ellis was the son of Dr. Morris Rosenbaum (1878-1947) and Frances Ruth (Padwe) Rand (1887-1969. Ellis and his siblings changed their last name to Rand.

Rand - Ellis, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, of Huntington, NY.

Husband of Susan Florence, father of James, M.D. of Mayo Clinic, grandfather of Mariah and Evan, stepfather of Laura Hart.

Religious services Monday, 8:30 pm at Connell Funeral Home, 934 New York Ave, Huntington.

Memorial donations to Huntington Hospital.

Source: New York Times
Date: April 14, 1991
Transcribed and submitted by: Sandy (Whalen) Bauer
Relationship: his first wife, Alice Leona (Davis) Rand was sister of my maternal grandfather, Alfred Davis

Note from Sandy:

His only surviving child, Dr. James Rand was also an orthopedic surgeon.

Ellis and first wife Alice are buried at Lebanon Cemetery, Lebanon, Missouri where their only daughter, Pamela Rand, is buried. Sadly she died when she was only five years old.