DECATUR - Dr. Ronald Meng took a chance when he became Macon County's first open-heart surgeon and touched the hearts of thousands of local patients in the process.

He died of gastric cancer early Sunday morning at his home but not before building a legacy of medical expertise and genuine passion for people. He was 55.

Meng was nationally recognized within his field, including being named as a "Top Doctor in America" by the Center for Study of Services in Washington, D.C., but he was more than a heart surgeon. Friends said he was a rare find, a renaissance man.

"He was just very good at a lot of things," said longtime family friend Carolyn Sitkiewicz of Park Ridge. "He loved learning, and he loved sharing."

He shared music as professional trumpet player, chili as a gourmet cook and "encyclopedic knowledge" about plants as a gardener. Despite his impressive pedigree, she said, he was unpretentious and compassionate, eager to learn about others.

His first passion was his family. Sitkiewicz said he adored his wife, Rochelle, and their two children, 9-year-old Laura and 7-year-old Christopher.

Despite being faced with the paradox of an expert surgeon inflicted with cancer, the family accepted the diagnosis with "unbelievable dignity and grace," she said.

Meng, himself, was at peace with his diagnosis and even treated it as an educational opportunity. He kept a log of his treatments and his health status so others could learn from his experience.

It was that same mission - a life of service - that led him to move from the Chicago area to start Decatur Memorial Hospital's open-heart surgery program in 2002.

"We were so fortunate that a physician of his experience and his stature took a leap of faith that was required to come here and start a program from scratch," said Kenneth Smithmier, hospital president and chief executive officer. "It took a very special person to do what he did."

Meng did more than conduct advanced surgical techniques. He founded the structure of the program, hand writing the policies for how patients were to be cared for in the hours after surgery.

"There are now hundreds and hundreds of people in this area that didn't have to travel anymore," Smithmier said. "Some of these people came in here with acute heart attacks. Those people are now walking around living productive lives."

Randy Cannady was one. In March 2004, the then 46-year-old was confronted with having 100 percent blockage in one artery and 92 percent in the other. It was Meng's simple explanations of how he keeps the heart beating during open-heart surgery that convinced his family to stay in town for double-bypass surgery.

"Once we found out the procedure would keep the heart beating as opposed to putting it on a heart pump, it made the final decision easy," Cannady said. "Decatur is losing an awful fine person, not just a doctor, but a fine person in Dr. Meng."

Cannady's wife, Laura Cannady, added in an e-mail: "We only had the honor to know the man for a few days, but his fingerprints have left a profound impact - from his gentle sense of humor that set us at ease during a time of crises, to his straight talk about building a healthier and more fulfilling life.-;He not only saved-;Randy's life, but helped-;him to be a better person."

Meng's charisma also united the department.

"He was so much fun," said Sue Schwarze, clinical manager of the cardiovascular operating room. "He always made even the most stressful situations easy because he was so confident and so together."

After finishing a case, he even said, "Thank you," before leaving the room. The team carries on his legacy.

"We're busier than ever," Schwarze said. "It's a tribute to him that we were able to continue on so strongly."

The Illinois Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Group from Bloomington has continued to do cardiac surgery in Meng's absence but will return to an as-needed basis when the hospital narrows the search for a full-time replacement, Smithmier said.

Mildred Reed, Meng's first Decatur patient, said the community is lucky to still have the open-heart program, but it hurts to think about Meng being gone.

"I just regret that he didn't get to save more lives than he did," she said. "I wish we had more like him. I don't think there will ever be another Dr. Meng."

Bethany Carson can be reached at bcarson@herald-review.com or 421-6968.