Howard Paul Hogshead, MD Obituary

Howard Paul Hogshead, MD, died on Sunday, July 10, 2022, after years of illness. He was with his wife, Janet Bartel Hogshead.

His family remembers that in every way he was a giant; we even call it “Big D”. He was 6’4”, wore size 15 shoes and had huge hands. But his impact was equally enormous; he made significant contributions to medicine, the Jacksonville community and our family.

Howard met Janet during his freshman year of college. One of our favorite stories is that our mother, “Mutti”, asked her what her last name was, as she was in the middle of introducing her to someone else.

“This is Howard…sorry, what’s your last name?”

“It’s ‘Head’.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, nobody’s last name is ‘Hogshead’.”

Howard and Janet were married for 67 years and together for more than 70.

In addition to his wife, Janet, Howard is survived by his son, James Andrew Hogshead, and daughters, Nancy Hogshead-Makar and Sally Bartel Hogshead; her grandchildren, James Alexander Hogshead, Scott Maxwell Hogshead, Maxwell Hampton Hogshead, Aaron Hogshead Makar, Helen Clare Hogshead Makar, Milllicent Hogshead Makar, Quinton Hogshead Johnson, Asher Hogshead Johnson, in-laws Scott Makar, Ed Normand, and Lynn McDaniel Hogshead. A special thanks to Paulette Forbes and Dusty Graziano, whose love and support made them an integral part of our family home.

Howard was never shy about telling any of us that he loved us and was proud of our accomplishments, our lives, and our children. He and Mutti unfailingly called each child on their birthday and serenaded them with “Happy Birthday to you” in perfect harmony. He jokingly took credit for the gift of his genetics to us, but we appreciate more the gifts he shared with us more often, his intelligence and character.

Howard Hogshead, a spinal surgeon, was a respected leader in the medical and orthopedic communities. Probably his greatest impact was on medicine. Twenty years after he retired, people regularly came up to him to thank him for his care. One patient owned a walnut grove and sent him a box of walnuts every Christmas for over forty years.

Big D really loved learning. He often told us that half of his orthopedic medical education was devoted to the treatment of polio; a disease that he was cured with a vaccine when he graduated. He used the story to highlight the need for us to be lifelong learners, to constantly advance our careers. He used to clip articles from the Jacksonville Times-Union with an old pair of shears and leave them by the head table, or get us a copy of the most recent book that engrossed him.

After graduating from the University of Iowa School of Medicine in 1958, he held an academic position dedicated to research and teaching, first at the University of Iowa and then at the University of Florida School of Medicine. In 1966, the family moved to England for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at Oxford University to study joint injuries. His textbook, Orthopedics for the Therapist, remained a landmark reference for many years.

In 1973, he was lured here to Jacksonville by an offer to be the Director of the Cathedral Rehabilitation Center; what is now the Brooks Rehabilitation Center. We kids spent our summers wheeling patients to their appointments in wheelchairs.

In 1992, Howard became one of the founding partners of the Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute, also known as “JOI.” The institution has now grown to 34 board-certified physicians and 400 employees in total.

His lists of leadership positions in Jacksonville and nationally are long. For six years, he served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and three years as its Treasurer. He was president of the Jacksonville Orthopedic Association and the Florida Medical Association.

He also used his gifts in service. Dad was an Eagle Scout and he kept his oath to uphold the highest principles of honor, character, and citizenship. He gave generously to Volunteers in Medicine, an organization that provides free health care to uninsured workers. He did up to a third of all his work for free.

He practiced orthopedic surgery for 35 years without a single malpractice complaint.

Big D loved being outdoors, sports, and being in the water. He and Janet had many ships over the years, including a sailboat called the “Bone Voyage” – very appropriate for a spinal surgeon!

Big D took pride in his children and grandchildren. He and Janet took the entire team on an epic annual vacation, which included nature trails on tourist ranches, swimming in the Galapagos with sea lions, and getting up close to monkeys in Costa Rica.

Our holiday meals gathered a dozen or more family members around the table, with Big D cutting up the turkey like only a surgeon could.

Dad was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie Tooth Syndrome decades ago, but he didn’t complain. As his physical abilities began to fail him, he never lost interest in our lives and never stopped using those big soft hands to hold ours. His entire face would melt when he saw us, growing into his wide grin. We miss him very much, but we are comforted by the thousand gifts of goodwill from a giant man that he bestowed on us.

A Remembrance is planned for the evening of August 7, 2022. Location to be announced.