Isle doctor’s broad career
included volunteerism

Dr. William H. Sage III, chief of staff at the Queen's Medical Center in the 1980s, died Wednesday at his Honolulu home. He was 86.

Sage joined the U.S. Public Health Service, which sent him to Hawaii in 1950. He served three tours of duty here before his transfer to New Orleans in 1957.

Not wanting to expose his children to racial segregation, he resigned from the public health service after six months in racially segregated New Orleans and returned to Hawaii.

Born in New York City, Sage was reared in Schuyler, Va. In 1938 he married Evelyn C. Updike of Charlottesville, Va.

Upon his return to Hawaii in 1957, Sage joined the Fronk Clinic as an internal medicine and geriatric medicine specialist.

During his career he also volunteered his medical services, including working in American Samoa in 1962.

Sage served as medical director for Arcadia Retirement Residence from 1966 to 1967 and was president of the Hawaii Heart Association from 1968 to 1970.

He was twice elected chief of staff at the Queen's Medical Center, serving from 1981 to 1988.

He retired in 1993 at age 75.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Evelyn; daughter Anne; son Bill; granddaughters Milikaa and Liz; and grandsons Billy and Mark.

Services will be held 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at Diamond Head Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Hawaii Heart Association.