John Harold Raife, Jr.

John Harold Raife, Jr passed away early Wednesday morning, May 27, 2026 in Phoenix, AZ. He was 75. Born in Des Moines, Iowa he was the son of the late John Harold Raife and Betty Jane Raife. He was the eldest of four brothers and attended the University of Iowa for his bachelor’s and medical degree and remained a lifelong Hawkeyes fan.

In 1975, he moved to Phoenix to complete his residency at Maricopa Medical Center. John practiced as an emergency physician for over 40 years primarily at St. Josephs Hospital and Banner Health. He also spent time working at four other hospitals throughout Arizona.

John had many accomplishments during his career in medicine. He first became board certified in emergency medicine and was very involved with the American College of Emergency Physicians. As an examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine he showed up as a leader and affected the careers of many generations of new providers. He provided EMS training for paramedics and was the medical director for the Department of Public Safety helicopter. In addition, John took a very active role as a volunteer for the American Heart Association. This included advanced cardiac life support training for physicians, nurses, and paramedics and eventually lead to him becoming the president of the association in Arizona for one term followed by a second term as president for the southwest region. He was admired throughout all his career endeavors for being an expert in his field, having a calm demeanor, and dedication to mentoring and teaching throughout his entire career. He even met his wife Katie while she was working as an emergency nurse.

John had a large and loving family and is survived by his wife of 41 years, Kathleen Phelps Raife; his two children, Jennifer Raife of Seattle and Michael Raife of Phoenix; his brothers, Thomas Raife (Lori), Theodore Raife (Barb), Cindy Raife, sister-in-law, Stephen Phelps (Lisa), brother-in-law, Kristin Phelps Parrish (Jack), sister-in-law, Kathleen Phelps, his mother-in-law and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was pre-deceased by his brother, James Raife.

One of John’s greatest passions, since early childhood was going to a cottage in Brainerd, Minnesota on North Long Lake that was first owned by his grandparents, then his parents. The cottage, which included a boathouse was a place where he met up with cousins, aunts and uncles for two weeks each summer. Shenanigans were the order of the day not to mention drag abouts, riding the little bev, fishing, sailing and all sorts of water activities. He made sure that the cottage was available for his siblings and nieces and nephews to continue enjoying. It is a place where joyful memories are made.

John was involved in many athletic endeavors: running and wrestling in his younger years, fencing in college and a love of skiing and sailing. To relax, he enjoyed gardening and also played the guitar and piano.

One of his greatest gifts was his dry sense of humor which he shared with friends, neighbors, colleagues and patients.

A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Congregation of Phoenix on Saturday, June 27th at 10 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the John H Raife, MD legacy fund at the American Heart Association or to Huger Mercy Living Center.