By TIM UNRUH and MICHAEL STRAND

Salina Journal

Salina's heart skipped a beat Friday morning as news of cardiac surgeon Mace Braxton's death trickled back to town.

Family and friends announced that Braxton, 54, died at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, at 12:07 a.m. Friday. His brother-in-law, Trent Davis, a Salina neurologist, said the cause was liver and kidney failure.

Braxton's death left several at Salina Regional Health Center in a state of shock and sadness.

"There was just a pall hanging over the whole hospital, this horrible surreal atmosphere that I've never seen before," cardiologist Mark Mikinski said. His cardiology practice is at Mowery Clinic.

"We deal with people who are sick and die all the time, but this hit too close to home. It's very hard to handle," he said.

Mikinski and Braxton worked together over the past decade to build the Salina Regional Heart Center.

"He gave birth to the program. For the first several years, he was basically on call every single day. I would have complained, but not Mace," Mikinski said.

The hospital's heart center has performed more than 1,000 heart bypass surgeries since 1999.

From sick to sicker

Braxton's death was from a "sudden acute illness," Trent Davis said.

"The whole time, from feeling good to death, was three weeks," he said.

Feeling sick and fatigued, Braxton and his wife, Shirley Braxton, left Salina by car Monday night for a second opinion at the Army medical center on Fort Sam Houston.

"At that point, he was ill but not so ill that we expected this outcome," Davis said.

Braxton's condition worsened so quickly during the 10-hour drive that Shirley Braxton took him straight to the hospital, where he was immediately admitted into intensive care and put on ventilators.

"He left town sick and got here even sicker. I don't think anyone expected his condition to deteriorate that quickly in that short of time," Davis said.

As the news grew graver, six members of Braxton's heart surgery team decided Wednesday to drive the 714 miles to San Antonio, leaving at 5 a.m. Thursday.

"There was not even a second thought. We knew his situation was critical," said Kevin Koehler, Braxton's cardiothoracic physician assistant, who served as spokesman for the group.

They arrived at the Army hospital at 5 p.m. Thursday, where they held his hand, prayed for him and provided support.

"We were doing for him exactly as he does for his patients on a daily basis," Koehler said.

The medical cause of death, according to a statement from Salina Regional, was "liver failure induced by a noncontagious form of hepatitis, coupled with acute pancreatitis. The ultimate treatment would have been a liver transplant. However, (Braxton's) health status worsened to include kidney failure and eventually cardiac failure. He died at 12:07 a.m. Friday."

For many, Braxton's death was difficult to comprehend Friday.

"He was a great friend. He saved my life," said Terry Headrick, 64, Salina, who received heart bypass surgery from Braxton in October of 1999.

Clinton Higby, 62, received a quadruple bypass from Braxton 7 1/2 years ago.

"To me, he's a god. He was truly a fine surgeon, the best," Higby said.

The topping to Braxton's skills as a surgeon was his sincere touch with patients and just about everyone he encountered.

"He had the bedside manner that you'd want any physician to have. His gentleness is what made him stand apart," said Beth Vinson, Salina Regional's director of marketing.

He had an infectious laugh and an ability to remember people's names, Mikinski said.

"He was always sincerely concerned about other people, especially his patients. He really was a total package. It will be a tremendous loss to the hospital, our program and our community," Mikinski said.

Services planned

Salina Regional plans three memorial services Monday for Braxton. Those services are for employees only.

Kansas Wesleyan announced a public chapel service at 12:10 p.m. Monday for Braxton and for victims of the Thursday shooting at Northern Illinois University. The service is at University United Methodist Church, 1509 S. Santa Fe.

Ryan Mortuary is handling funeral arrangements.

Braxton was in his ninth year on the Kansas Wesleyan Board of Trustees. He was a member of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and was on its executive committee in 2007. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an Army veteran, Braxton was formerly on St. John's Military School Board of Trustees.

An ardent supporter of many activities, from the Salina Community Theatre to local high school sports, Braxton was a celebrated leader, who also was dedicated to family, church, medicine and the community.

Mustang turf

Peggy Gottschalk, a longtime backer of Salina Central High School athletics, recalled the first time she met Braxton.

"When he first came to Salina, he came to a Junction City football game (against Central) and looked like a lost soul," she said. "I invited him up, and he sat with us. I kept looking at him and finally said he looked like the new heart doctor I'd just read about in the Salina Regional magazine, and he said, 'That's me.' "

He later turned to Gottschalk -- who often attends games decked from head to toe in Central's maroon and white -- and told her, "I sure am glad I'm sitting next to the head cheerleader."

In the stands at various Central events and in more personal ways, Gottschalk said, Braxton quickly earned her respect.

"He fit right into the Mustang family, just right away," she said.

She recalled calling Braxton at home one evening, and asking him to check on her father after his heart surgery, and that "he was there before 8 o'clock (in the morning). I didn't think you could call a doctor at home and get those kind of results."

His involvement with Mustang athletics included two sons who played football for the school, as well as spearheading the community effort to install artificial turf at Salina Stadium three years ago.

Barry Weis met Braxton eight years ago, when he was coaching the Salvation Army football team both of their sons played for, and "really had the privilege of getting to know him and his wife, Shirley, then."

Weis worked with Braxton on the turf project and, Weis said, "I would not have been involved in the turf project had it not been for Mace. He was passionate about getting the turf project done, so it was easy to work with him on that."

"I'm sure I'll never meet a finer individual than Mace Braxton," Salina Mayor Alan Jilka said.

"The list of his community involvements would probably only be matched by those of his wife," Jilka said. "I don't think there's a church in Salina big enough for his funeral. He touched that many people."

While Salina Regional has lost Braxton's "effervescent personality and charm," cardiologist Mikinski said Braxton helped forge a solid foundation in the heart program.

"Our goal was always to make the program bigger than any one person, so if something like this happened, we would be able to continue on. I think we are in a good position to do that," Mikinski said

Salina Regional president and CEO Mike Terry concurred, but agreed there is a void in Salina today.

"We will always be in debt to Dr. Braxton for the years of service he's given to the community and to the patients and their families. His warm smile and winning can-do attitude will be greatly missed," Terry said.

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.

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