John Banoot Zachem

Published 9:10 am Thursday, December 14, 2017

March 30, 1961 – November 29, 2017

John Banoot Zachem passed away on November 29, 2017, after a prolonged battle with cancer; he was 56 years old.

John was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Charles Russell Zachem Jr. of Greenup, Kentucky, and Anne Gregg Rhodemyre of Charleston, South Carolina. John was raised in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He graduated from Chagrin Falls High School in 1979. He briefly attended Mount Union College before attending Ohio State University and ultimately graduating from University of Colorado with a B.A. in environmental studies.

John fell in love with two things while in Colorado, the outdoors of the Western United States and Ms. Jennie Craig, and not in that order. John and Jennie later moved to Athens, Ohio, in 1988, where John attended Ohio University. They married on December 1, 1990, in Sanibel, Florida. Jennie was by John’s side for the rest of his life; a devoted wife and mother of their children.

John subsequently graduated from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1995. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at SouthPointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. Dr. John Zachem then moved to Bend, Oregon, in 1999, and joined High Lakes Health Care. John was a founding member of the hospitalist program at St. Charles Hospital and later joined St. Charles Health Care. John was named “North Star Physician of the Year” in 2015 by The St. Charles Foundation, in the inaugural year of the award, in recognition of his significant contributions to the health care community in Bend over his career.

John was an avid outdoors-man: a skier, hunter and fisherman. He enjoyed all things outdoors and eagerly explored the American West. John cherished being part of the Central Oregon medical community and wanted all to know that it was a great honor and privilege to be a member of the St Charles medical staff, where he was entrusted with the care of his community’s patients. The only things he loved more in life was his wife and family. Weaving together his passion for the outdoors, his strong talents as a care giver, and his qualities of leadership and character, he successfully fostered a strong relationship with God, a loving home, a close-knit family, a healing practice, and many community ties and friendships.

John is survived by his wife, Jennie Craig; his children, Jessica Lynn and Joshua Phillip; his parents, Charles Zachem Jr. and Anne Rhodemyre Warner, both of Chagrin Falls, Ohio; in addition to his brothers, Charles Zachem III of Eugene, Oregon; Tyler Zachem of Scarsdale, New York; and Spence Zachem of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Arrangements: Baird Funeral Home of Bend is honored to serve the family. Please visit www.bairdfh.com to share condolences and sign our online guest book.

Services: A Celebration of Life will be held at The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon, 61980 Skyline Ranch Rd. on December 18 at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Partners In Care Hospice House, 2075 NE Wyatt Ct., Bend, Oregon 97701.

Inurnment will take place at The Columbarium of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.