Dr. Theodore "Ted" Presley Roman, MD

Dr. Theodore Presley Roman, MD, age 90, of Sioux City, IA, died on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 6:03 a.m. after a long ten-year battle with dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease; ultimately, he died from a fall which resulted in injuries, including a hip fracture. He received hospice care at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Sioux City. Visitation will be at First United Methodist Church on Friday, January 31, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with family present from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and a prayer service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Online condolences may be directed to www.meyerbroschapels.com. 

Ted was born on September 12, 1934, in Wheaton, Minnesota to Theodore and Beulah (Presley) Roman. He grew up on a farm and attended a one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade. He graduated from Rosholt High School in Rosholt, South Dakota in 1952. In 1956, Ted earned his undergraduate degree in Biology and Chemistry from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota. He served as the student body president as well. During his junior year, he helped the choir from Dakota Wesleyan with electrical and soundboard needs on their spring trip. During a free day while they were in New York City, he visited his dream medical school, the best in the nation - the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He knew that given his financial need, he would never be able to afford to go to the school, but he wanted to see it since he was in New York City. At the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, he received permission to be on campus. After a very long conversation with the Dean, he told Ted that if everything was as he described with his grades and record, he would be given a full-tuition scholarship to attend Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons after completing his senior year of college. This was a gift from God and completely unexpected. He received his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City in June of 1960. He completed his Internship in Surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City in June of 1961. 

On August 2, 1959, he married Helen JoAnne Marquardt in Watertown, South Dakota. After struggling for many years to have children, they were blessed with three daughters: Christine Helen, Elizabeth Ann, and Valerie Marie.  Extra special blessings to both of them were their grandchildren. The love and concern they both had for their children and grandchildren was so special and amazing. 

After earning his medical degree and completing his surgical internship, Ted became a staff physician through the United States Department of Indian Health Services at a hospital on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota. He subsequently spent several years in private practice in nearby Martin, South Dakota, before pursuing the medical specialty of cardiovascular surgery. He felt called to become a cardiovascular surgeon, and God opened the doors to make that happen. In January 1970, he and his family moved to Rochester, Minnesota so that he could become a Resident in General Surgery at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He completed his training at the Mayo Clinic in December of 1973. He became a Fellow in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Iowa - University Hospitals in Iowa City, Iowa and completed his training on January 1, 1976. After working as a thoracic/vascular surgeon in Waterloo, Iowa for two years, he established the first open-heart surgery program in Sioux City, Iowa. On February 14, 1978, he founded Siouxland Cardiovascular Surgeons, P.C. as the only open-heart surgery provider in Northwest Iowa. He became the first cardiovascular surgeon in Northwest Iowa in May 1978 when he performed the area’s first open-heart surgical procedure at St. Joseph’s Hospital/Marian Health Center (now MercyOne). Over the next 21 years, Ted completed thousands of open-heart surgeries and other surgical procedures during more than 64,000 hours in the operating room. He trained every cardiac surgery technician, and many cardiac nurses, from 1978 to 1999. He was known by his patients and fellow health care team as a person who truly cared deeply for his patients and had compassion for them. His life’s work was in serving others and showing dignity to those he cared for. 

In 1999, Ted retired from his medical practice to take care of his wife, Helen, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and later died in 2002 of ovarian cancer in their home with hospice. In 2007, Mercy Medical Center Foundation awarded Dr. Ted Roman with the Spellman Annual Service Award, in recognition of his time, talent and dedication that exemplified the values of Mercy Medical Center/MercyOne. After miraculously covering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009, he believed he was given a second chance at life, so he moved to Eagle Butte, South Dakota to return to being a practicing physician and became the Medical Officer/Supervising Medical Officer with the United States Department of Indian Health Services on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. In 2010, he retired for a second time, due to suffering from the beginning stages of dementia.

Ted’s strong faith in the Lord Jesus guided him through many difficult times and was his anchor for his entire life. He leaves a legacy of faith. He had an abiding Christian faith and belief in the Lordship and saving grace of Jesus Christ. Every morning at 6:00 a.m. Ted could be found by his family at the kitchen table with his Bible and the Upper Room devotional. He was a man of prayer who took the words of scripture seriously and spoke often of the love of God. He once gave a sermon on love at First United Methodist on the scripture passage, 1 John 4: 7-21, that God is love and therefore we must love one another for love is from God. He was unashamed of the gospel as the power of God to bring salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16). His faith was lived out by action. He was known for his integrity, compassion, and deep generosity. It is hard to capture in words what a man of character and pillar he was in his community. 

He taught his daughters to believe in themselves and that, even though as he often would say that “life isn’t fair,” we should seek justice and reconciliation with others through our actions. He believed that his daughters “could do anything you set your mind to do” and to treat others with compassion, kindness, and dignity. 

Ted had a passion for helping others, especially those marginalized in the community. He generously gave to multiple charities and nonprofit organizations. When he noticed the homeless, he stopped to talk with them and offer assistance. His own experience with childhood poverty influenced his compassion for those hurting. He started and ended his medical career serving on two Lakota tribal reservations. He was deeply passionate about his service to Native people. He loved the Lakota values of generosity, wisdom, bravery and kinship. He loved South Dakota, bird watching, farming/his cattle, riding horses, and hiking in the Black Hills. Mostly, he deeply loved his family and treasured spending time with them. 

Even in his dementia struggle with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, he demonstrated a sweet spirit and kindness known by health care staff at both Whispering Creek Assisted-Memory Care unit and Crown Point Care Center nursing home, his final residences at the end of his life. CNAs commented on his gentle, easy-going spirit, concern for others well-being even in nonverbal ways, and the twinkle in his smiling eyes. He was well loved by staff at both facilities. 

Ted was preceded in death by his loving wife of 43 years, Helen, in June 2002, his parents Theodore and Beulah (Wheaton, Minnesota), brother John Roman (Dade City, Florida), his brother Bob Roman (Marlton, New Jersey), his brother-in-law, Earl Nebelsick (Mitchell, SD), his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Jim and Joy Krakowski (St. Paul, Minnesota), and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Mike and Marilyn Croot (Grand Island, Nebraska).

Those left to honor his memory include his three daughters and their families: Chris (and Kevin) Dicus of Sioux City, Iowa and their children: Brittany Dicus (and husband, Brock Welch) of Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Austin (and Rayne) Dicus of New Holland, Pennsylvania and their daughter (Raya Dicus), and their nephew Joe Dicus (and Sara) and their three children of Sioux City, Iowa (Jevin Dicus, Jovie Dicus, and Jrue Dicus); Elizabeth Giddings of Holland, Michigan, and her four children: Noah Giddings, Gabe Giddings, Toria Giddings, and Grace Giddings (all of Michigan); and Valerie (and Mike) Stokes of Orange City, Iowa and their four children: Victoria (and Garrett) Beard of Castle Rock, Colorado and their son (Truitt Beard), Vanessa Funk (and AJ) of Claverack, New York, Roman (and Maegan) Stokes of Orange City, Iowa, and Jose Stokes and partner Samantha Vogel of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and their son (Thiago Vogel). He is also survived by his sister Rowena Nebelsick (Mitchell, South Dakota), sister-in-law Kathy Roman (Dade City, Florida), sister-in-law Holly Roman (Marlton, New Jersey), and many much-loved nieces and nephews and their families.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the following. 

• First generation and/or historically underrepresented college students at these two higher education institutions:
  • Dakota Wesleyan University Memorial Gift
    • Select “Other” and then “Make this gift in memory or honor of someone” and type Theodore P. Roman as the honoree
  • Northwestern College Memorial Gift
    • Select “Memorial Gift” and type Theodore P. Roman
• Alzheimer’s Association
• 
  

A special and heartfelt thank you goes to the Avera Hospital and Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, and the nurses, CNAs, staff, and administration of the Whispering Creek Assisted Living-Reflections Unit in Sioux City, Iowa and Crown Point Care Center in Sioux Center, Iowa for your many years of kind and tireless care for Dr. Roman (“Doc”). We want to thank all of the hospice professionals who have helped him over the last few years. Thank you for taking care of him in his last days with kindness and gentleness. We know he appreciated each and every one of you so much.