Dr. Denis A. Radefeld's Obituary
Dr. Denis A. Radefeld, 96, of Sugarcreek, Ohio (formerly of Lorain, Ohio) went to be with the Lord on August 23, 2015 at Community Hospice House of Tuscarawas County, surrounded by family and holding the hand of his devoted wife Carol. He was born on July 22, 1919 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Alfred and Loretta (Albers) Radefeld. On August 16, 1969, he married the former Carol Yvonne Geckler. They shared an amazing love for 46 years and shared this love with those who were in need here and in the Dominican Republic. Denis’s Kind, gentle, and wise spirit endeared him to all he knew. His calm demeanor in the face of problems, his skill as a surgeon, his true love of the Lord, and his humble manner were admired by his contemporaries.
Denis was preceded in death by his first wife Alice in 1967, his parents, his brother Alfred Radefeld, and his sister Loretta Hart. He is survived by and will be missed greatly by his children, Denis Jr. (Shirley), Lee (Penny) and Larry (Golda) all of Venice, Florida; Martha (Dr. Rick) Kukulka of North Platte, Nebraska; Christi (Carl) Sharon of Hamden, Conn. and Wendi Reed of San Diego all of Whom he adored along with 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother Dr. William (Phyllis) Radefeld of Florida, as well as many nieces and nephews. The Lord and his family were foremost in Denis’s life.
Dr. Radefeld attended Elmira Grammar School, Wilbur Wright Jr. High School, and John Marshall High School in Cleveland. He graduated from the University of Rochester in 1941 and the Western Reserve School of Medicine in 1944. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Germany 1946-1948. His surgical training was at Metropolitan Hospital in Cleveland. From 1952-1998, he was in private general surgery practice in Lorain, and was on the staffs of Amherst Hospital, Community Health Partners and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Health Center. He served as Chief of Staff, Chief of Surgery and Medical Director at Community Health Partners from 1975-1994. From 1999-2009, Dr. Radefeld was the Associate Medical Director of EMH Regional Medical Center, Elyria, Ohio. He also served as Chief of Staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital and President of the Lorain County Medical Society. Dr. Radefeld was certified by the American Board of Surgery, the American Board of Abdominal Surgery, the Christian Medical Dental Society and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review. In addition, he was an active member of the Ohio Medical Board and an inactive member of the Florida Medical Board.
Dr. Radefeld was instrumental in establishing the Lorain Free Clinic and served on the board for many years. He was a board member of Medical Ministry International from 1993 until 2002 when he became the first Emeritus board member. He was a member of the Lakeland Community Foundation and was recently awarded Emeritus status. He was an active member of First United Church of Christ in Sugarcreek.
Denis was the recipient of many awards for his humanitarian work, including the Humanitarian Award given by Lorain County Medical Society (1991), Volunteer Physician Award of the Year by the Ohio Department of Health (1996), the Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International, Leadership Excellence in Health by Leadership Lorain County (2004), Chauncey B. Smythe Award by Elyria Memorial Hospital Regional Health (2006), Eric Nord Award for Excellence in Community Service (2010) and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mercy Foundation (2014.
The service that gave Denis and Carol the most satisfaction and joy were their 57 two week missions to the Dominican Republic from 1983 until 2011 when a fractured hip did not allow him to continue. They loved this service and the Dominican people, as well as the multitude of people with whom they served on these trips.
Services will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2015 at 12:00 PM (Noon) at Trinity Lutheran Church 3747 Liberty Ave. Vermilion, Ohio with Rev. Jimmy Madsen officiating. Friends may call Wednesday from 5-8 PM at the Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Rd, Amherst, Ohio. Services will also be held on Friday, August 28, 2015 at 12:00 (Noon) at the First United Church of Christ in Sugarcreek with Rev. Ed Shriver officiating. Interment will follow in Dover Burial Park where the Sugarcreek American Legion will conduct Military Honors. Friends may call on Thursday 6-8 PM at Smith-Varns Funeral Home at Sugarcreek.
The family request that contributions be made to the Dr. Denis A. Radefeld Memorial Fund of Mercy Foundation, 3700 Kolbe Rd., Lorain, Ohio 44057; First United Church of Christ, Sugarcreek, Ohio; First Lutheran Church, Lorain, Ohio; Hospice of Tuscarawas County.
Online condolences may be left for the Radefeld family at www.dovinreberjones.com
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