Dr. Urs M. Bryner

Dr. Urs Markus Bryner of Yreka passed away suddenly at his home on December 14, 2014. He was 68 years old, and could still out-work and out-ski any of his friends and family. Urs grew up in Winterthur, Switzerland, born to Alfred and Elisabeth Bryner on May 7, 1946. After attending college in Darmstadt, Germany, he came to California to finish his studies. He graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School, where he also completed his surgical training. He and his wife Darlene were married on July 6, 1969, and in 1979 they moved to Yreka to establish his practice, at the urging of Dr. Ed Miller of Mt. Shasta. When Dr. Miller was recruiting another surgeon for this area, he called the Chief of Surgery at Loma Linda University and asked, “Which of your surgical residents would you trust to perform a delicate operation on yourself?” Without hesitation he replied, “That would be Urs Bryner.” This past August, Urs celebrated his 35-year career as a surgeon. In those 35 years he received recognition for numerous achievements, most notably for his work in China, introducing and teaching laparoscopic surgical techniques at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang Medical University in Hangzhou, where he was a professor of surgery from 1994-1996. He was honored by colleagues in China and Loma Linda as Surgeon of the Year in 1996. As devoted as Urs was to his practice and his patients, he also managed to find time for plenty of other activities. He was an expert skier and loved nothing more than hitting the slopes in his beloved Swiss Alps. An accomplished woodworker and gardener also, he made many of the pieces of furniture in his home and provided enough fruits and vegetables every summer to keep everyone in the neighborhood happy. He was a member of the Rotary Club, and sang in the COS barbershop group. After his family, his greatest commitment was to his church. Urs was an elder in the Yreka Seventh-day Adventist church, where he also taught Bible classes, sang in the choir, and was the driving force behind multiple evangelistic and humanitarian programs, and building projects. Urs is survived by his wife Darlene; son Dr. Marcus Bryner of Grants Pass, OR; daughter Stephanie Bryner Davis of Lemoore, CA; daughter Carrie Bryner Valdes of Loma Linda, CA; and five grandchildren, with another expected in March. He also leaves behind memories of a man who didn’t waste a moment of the life God gave him. A celebration of Urs’ life will be held at the Yreka Adventist Christian School, 346 Payne Ln, on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at 4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to one of three projects that he cared deeply about: the Yreka Seventh-day Adventist Church building fund; Adventist Health International Third World Physician Support (www.ahiglobal.org/main/donate-now, and e-mail: bbrewster@llu.edu to designate gifts in honor of Urs Bryner); or Loma Linda University China Project (www.llu.edu/giving/bryner).

Dr. Urs M. Bryner

May 7, 1946 - December 14, 2014