Rapid City Dr. John Jack Elston died Sunday at the age of 89. Dr. Elston, beloved husband, father, and grandfather died quietly in his home surrounded by his wife and children on All Saints Day, Sunday, Nov 1, after a long and difficult battle with cancer. He was born on Nov 22, 1919 to Philip and Faye Elston of Boone, Iowa. They moved to Glidden, Iowa where he graduated from high school in 1938. There he met his high-school sweetheart, Marion Constance McPherson, whom he married June 2, 1942. Dr. Elston graduated from the State University of Iowa in 1943, enlisted in the US Army, and entered medical school. He graduated from the University of Iowa School of Medicine in 1945 and was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society. He served in the US Army Medical Corp from 1942 until his honorable discharge in 1955 with a rank of Major. He was certified by the American Board of Pathology in 1954 after training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology in Washington, D.C. During his training Dr. Elston researched fluid resuscitation of critically ill infants and children; perfecting techniques remaining in active use throughout the world today. An active and well respected member of the South Dakota medical community, Dr. Elston served on the Board of Directors of the South Dakota Blue Shield, was a director of the School of Medical Technologists, an inspector of laboratories for Accreditation by the American Board of Clinical Pathology. He served as past president of the Black Hills District Medical Society, the South Dakota State Medical Association, and as Chief of the Medical Staff for Rapid City Regional Hospital. In 1986 he was elected an Emeritus Fellow of the College of American Pathologists. Elston was honored for his services during the Rapid City flood of 1972 for his role in maintaining health care services as the Pennington County health officer. The citation from the A. H. Robbins Pharmaceutical Co. noted these services were provided despite the stress of loss of both his father-in-law and mother-in-law in the flood. In 1980 he received the C.B. Alford Award for outstanding service to public health. In 2000, he received a lifetime services award from Rapid City Regional Hospital and the Medical Staff and was recognized at that time by the SD Medical Association for fifty years of continuous practice in South Dakota. He was an active member of Rotary International and the Elks club in Rapid City. He is survived by: his wife, Marion, Rapid City, son John, Brighton, CO, daughter Mary (Tam) Colson, Rapid City, and sons Patrick, Houston, TX, Michael, Rapid City, and Peter, Rapid City; Grandchildren Tara Schaack, Rapid City, Bill Colson, Sioux Falls, Heidi Waterfall, Brooktondale, NY, Mike Elston, Minneapolis, MN, Lindsay Johnson, Burns, WY, Katie Vifquain, Rapid City, Nicholas Elston, Twenty-nine Palms, CA, Ashley Elston, Rapid City. Great Grandchildren Libby and Cecily Schaack, Rapid City, Henry Waterfall, Brooktondale, NY. He was preceded in death by parents Philip and Faye, brothers Philip and Robert, and Grandson, Jeremiah. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home at 2700 Jackson Boulevard, followed by a Christian Wake Service. Mass of Christian Burial will commence at 10 a.m. Thursday, November 5th at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help with Rev. Michel Mulloy presiding. Burial with Military Honors by the TREA Chapter 29 Honor Guard will be at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Memorials have been established for the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and for Storybook Island.