Ralph Riffenburgh, MD

A modern-day da Vinci.

Ralph Riffenburgh, MD, was a Renaissance man. Not only was he a renowned ophthalmologist who practiced for more than 50 years, but he was also a U.S. Navy officer who served as a hospital department head, a University of Southern California professor who did research on the eyes of shaken babies, a medical volunteer who voyaged to Vietnam and a San Bernardino County Sheriff Department pilot who searched for lost hikers in the mountains. He traveled the world and visited each of the seven continents — including Antarctica — in the short period of six months. His talents even expanded into the arts, and he became a mystery murder novelist and amateur scrimshander later in life. Above all, however, Dr. Riffenburgh was a dedicated champion of Huntington Hospital.

Every year, Dr. Riffenburgh made generous philanthropic contributions toward our work. Before he passed away in 2022, he also chose to join our Legacy Gift Society by including the hospital in his estate plan. Through this arrangement, he vowed to support our ability to offer quality care to family, friends and neighbors, into the future. “The quality of care at Huntington Hospital is excellent and the caliber of the medical staff is extremely high,” Dr. Riffenburgh said back in 2016. “To keep doing all the things it does and to stay a level ahead, the hospital needs community support. I want to ensure it remains at the highest level.”

Ralph Riffenburgh, MD, was a man who lived life to the fullest.

To Dr. Riffenburgh, Huntington Hospital was more than a medical institution. It was the setting for his life story. He started working here as an intern in 1947, back when our emergency department only had one bed and a gurney. When he performed cataract surgery, which was an inpatient procedure at the time, he would personally walk patients back to their rooms himself.

In Dr. Riffenburgh’s words, Huntington Hospital was a “wonderful place to work,” and he made many friends during his decades-long service. Working at the hospital was also ideal for his wife, Angelyn, who trained in the laboratory while he worked as an intern. In total, Dr. Riffenburgh served as a member of our medical staff for 60 years — a record that still stands to this day.

One of Dr. Riffenburgh’s three sons, Stephen Riffenburgh, MD, remembers the passion his father had for Huntington Hospital. “He was so strongly affiliated with the hospital,” says Stephen. “His whole persona revolved around him being a doctor here.” As such, Huntington Hospital was also a distinct part of Stephen’s childhood. He fondly recalls how his father used to bring him to work and let him visit with our nurses while finishing rounds.

Anne Riffenburgh and Stephen Riffenburgh, MD, made a gift to Huntington Hospital to fulfill the wishes of the late Ralph Riffenburgh, MD.

A tale of two generations.

Years later, Stephen would follow in his father’s footsteps: He studied to be an orthopedic surgeon before going on to become a member of Huntington Hospital’s medical staff for the majority of his career. While he was practicing as a physician here, Stephen met his now-wife, Anne, who was doing social work in oncology and palliative care.

Today, Anne and Stephen are committed to carrying on Dr. Riffenburgh’s legacy of giving back to the community. Even though they are both officially retired from Huntington Hospital, they graciously continue to dedicate their time and effort to our institution. Stephen offers his expertise as an emeritus member of the hospital’s medical staff and donates blood here every few months. For her part, Anne reviews requests for Senior Care Network’s Senior Caring Fund and has traveled five times with the Phil Simon Clinic Tanzania Project to assist patients with HIV/AIDS and other medical or social issues.

Giving local.

Anne and Stephen donate more than just their time here. They recently made a personal gift to Huntington Hospital to fulfill Dr. Riffenburgh’s wishes. For them, making a contribution to the hospital was an easy decision. “Huntington has an established track record for taking care of people in our community,” Stephen says. “It is clearly the premier hospital in San Gabriel Valley. We have talented doctors in every field, from orthopedic surgery to breast cancer care to trauma.”

Anne wholeheartedly agrees and notes that giving local just makes sense. “Huntington is a hospital that people can rely on,” she says.

You can’t go wrong donating to the hospital in your backyard.

As Dr. Riffenburgh said years ago, “Huntington Hospital is good for the community and vice versa: Thanks to the community’s support, the hospital remains a level ahead of others, with the highest quality of care.”