Dr. Charles Ochs

Dr. Charles Winston Ochs, 74, of Birmingham, Ala., passed away Monday, Aug. 13, 2007, after an extended illness.

He was born March 7, 1933, in Cape Gir­ar­deau, son of Henry Augustus and Lucille Gladish Ochs.

After graduating from Washington University in 1954, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1956, and graduated medical school at Tulane University in 1958. He earned a master's degree from the University of Rochester in 1961.

After retiring in 1976 with 20 years active duty with the Navy as a captain and chairman of the radiology department at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md., he became chairman of the radiology department at Cooper Green Hospital, where he served until retirement.

During his active retirement, he enjoyed growing daylilies, collecting pre-Columbian art and ancient maps, and traveling extensively around the world. He was active in Rotary, New Horizons at UAB, Birmingham Museum of Art and Library and Alabama Archaeology Society. He was ardent in his leadership and research for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation.

He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Mary Alice Longfellow Ochs, originally from Kirksville, Mo.; a daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Monro B. Lanier III of Huntsville, Ala.; two sisters, Barbara Ochs Farquhar of Cape Girardeau, Carolyn Ochs Cameron of Atlanta; and two granddaughters, Harper Longfellow Lanier and Elizabeth Hamilton Lanier.

The funeral was held Thursday at Ridout's Valley Chapel in Homewood, Ala. Burial was in Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham.