Brian Yagoda, killed riding his bicycle in Delafield, is remembered as a doctor who cared deeply about his patients

TOWN OF DELAFIELD - Brian Yagoda is being remembered as a doctor who cared deeply and developed genuine relationships with his young patients and their families.

"He was always a compassionate doctor who took the time to personally call with results," said Muskego resident Lisa Borkoski, whose children had Yagoda as a pediatrician for nearly nine years. "My children looked forward to seeing him for visits.

"He had a great bedside manner and treated our children with respect and kindness. He will be deeply missed."

Yagoda, 57, was killed after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle east on Golf Road at about 5 p.m. June 14. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department said the vehicle was traveling in the same direction as Yagoda.

Yagoda was taken to Aurora Summit Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

The driver of the car that struck him, a 71-year-old Waukesha man, remained at the scene and was cooperating in the investigation, according to the sheriff's department. No charges have been filed in connection with the incident.

Yagoda worked as a pediatrician at ProHealth Medical Group's Muskego clinic on Janesville Road. 

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Brian Yagoda," said Dr. Arthur Coffey, chief physicians operations officer at ProHealth Care, in a news release.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Yagoda family as well as with the members of our medical team who worked closely with Dr. Yagoda over the years. He was part of the ProHealth Care family for more than two decades and was deeply committed to his young patients. He will be greatly missed."

He had colleagues and patients' respect 

Coffey added Yagoda's patients were fond of the longtime doctor. 

"Dr. Yagoda’s patients and their families appreciated his ability to listen well and provide them with high quality medical care," Coffey said. "His colleagues respected him as a medical professional, a valued member of the team and a friend. He was noted for his friendly and approachable manner."

Coffey said ProHealth is in the process of communicating with Yagoda's patients. Members of the ProHealth employee assistance program are available to provide support to those affected by Yagoda's death, the release said.

The news hit Christi Swenson of Milwaukee and her youngest daughter hard.

Swenson said when searching for a pediatrician 19 years ago when she was pregnant with her first child she felt "at ease meeting Dr. Yagoda."

"He was so patient and took all the time I needed to answer a lot of questions for a nervous, first-time mother," said Swenson, who also had Yagoda as her doctor for her second child, now 15.

"Not only am I saddened for his family and the loss they are experiencing right now, I am saddened for all of the children, families and the community that will not experience his compassionate nature and genuine concern for his patients. What a great, great loss for this community."

Yagoda developed long-term relationships with patients

Yagoda studied at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana in Urbana, Illinois. His residency was at the St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois.

"Pediatrics covers a very wide range of ages and problems, from the tiny premature infant to the older adolescent," Yagoda wrote on his professional biography page. "I enjoy caring for a wide variety of patients.

"I strive to be comprehensive in handling a wide variety of conditions and diseases including behavioral problems and attention deficit disorders. I enjoy working with families and having long-term relationships with them."

One family he did this with was the Holma family of Waterford. Julie Holma said Yagoda had been her family's doctor for nearly 20 years, starting with her oldest son, now a sophomore in college, down to her other two sons. They even had a nickname for him — Dr. Yoda, due to their love of Star Wars.

She said he treated everything from hip dysplasia, essential tremors, hearing loss, broken bones, concussions, severe burns, severe allergic reactions, H1N1, possible measles, among other illnesses. 

But what stood out about Yagoda, Holma said, was that "every time we came, he asked us about us. He cared. Many of our visits involved tears and he took them all in stride, including my own. It truly breaks my heart that I will have to tell my children the only doctor they have ever known has passed needlessly and prematurely."

Being a father helped him in his career

Outside the doctor's office, Yagoda enjoyed spending time with his family, and his hobbies included gardening and bicycling, according to his online medical profile.

Yagoda echoed his love for the outdoors in a 2010 video produced and edited by the Milwaukee-based StoryPlace Productions. 

In it, Yagoda talks about his love for being a pediatrician and watching young children grow and develop, especially when there were complications when they were infants.

"When the patient walks out the door, I'm hoping that they will feel we have all their questions answered and we really made a difference in their lives," Yagoda said in the video.

Over the years, he also traveled with medical teams to Peru.

"It's very eye-opening to see what medicine is like in a Third World country and you compare to what we have here," he said in the video.

Yagoda is survived by his wife, Shirley, and his three adult children, Kylie, Jared and Allyse. He said in the video being a father helped him during his career.

"It's almost like a simultaneous experience because my first daughter was born the day I started as a pediatrician," Yagoda said. "It really has made me a more compassionate pediatrician and also understanding what the realities are as a parent."

Funeral arrangements 

Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 22, at Randle-Dable-Brisk Funeral Home, 1110 S. Grand Ave., Waukesha.

Visitation continues from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday, June 23, at St. Anthony on the Lake Catholic Church, W280N2101 Prospect Ave., Pewaukee, followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Brian Yagoda Memorial Fund at Waukesha State Bank, according to his obituary. "Contributions will be earmarked to prevent further tragic loss of life by helping facilitate the construction of paved bike lanes along the Golf & Silvernail Road corridors in western Waukesha County," the obituary said. 

- Debi Eimer contributed to this report.