John Holcomb

John K. Holcomb, M.D., 83, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, March 24, 2016, at his home.

He was born July 15, 1932, in Cape Girardeau to Orville and Mildred Kurre Holcomb.

He was raised in the rural Cape Girardeau area and was one of a handful of students who attended the Southeast Missouri State University campus school system from kindergarten, elementary, high school and college and graduated from there in 1956.

He graduated from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in 1960 and returned to Cape Girardeau to practice family medicine until retirement in 1992. He served as president of the Cape Girardeau Area Medical Society in 1977 and as president of the Saint Francis Hospital medical staff from 1980 to 1981. In 1998, he was given the Distinguished Physician award by the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence. He received the Citizenship and Community Service award from the Missouri State Medical Association in 1998.

Always active in sports, he was a four-year letterman in both baseball and basketball while in high school and pitched a no-hit game. He was on the freshman basketball team at Southeast Missouri State University and spent part of one summer pitching minor-league baseball before being called into naval service during the Korean War. While in service, he was a radar operator on aircraft involved in anti-submarine search.

During retirement years, he was active in tennis and golf and has made one hole-in-one. He was an avid supporter of Southeast Missouri State University athletics, serving as one of the team physicians for 30 years and serving on the SEMO Booster board of directors since 1974 and as board of directors president in 1993.

His community service has been with The United Way (president in 1999), Lions Club (president, 1989 to 1990), Nell Holcomb School Foundation (past president), SEMO U. Copper Dome Society, Cape Special Road District (1992 to 2004), Saint Francis Hospital Foundation board of directors (1999 to 2005), Public Water District No. 5 board of directors and the Cape River Heritage Museum board of directors (2003 to present and as president currently).

He and his wife have established four scholarships at Southeast Missouri State University for those wanting to become elementary-school teachers, pre-med students, those wanting to go into family medicine and a baseball scholarship. Most recently on the Southeast campus, the Holcomb Success Center has been established. He was a member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church and had served as an elder and on the board of directors.

He enjoyed collecting antique medical memorabilia and was in the process of working with Southeast Missouri State University to establish a repository for the memorabilia and other Cape Girardeau County medical artifacts at the new Regional History Museum.

He also collected antique autos and still has the first car he owned, a 1927 Model T Ford, which he purchased while in high school in 1949. He had a passion for woodworking and created various pieces of furniture for family and friends.

He married Judith Ann Hanschen of Flat River, Missouri, in 1959. They have three children, Lisa Cameron (Kit), Douglas Holcomb (Jeri) and David Holcomb.

Survivors include his wife; three children; six grandchildren, Joshua and Amber Holcomb, Katelyn and Clayton Holcomb, Chase Silvers and Amanda Cameron; two great-grandchildren, Weston and Hazel Holcomb; a sister, Marianna Kipp (John); two nephews, Johnny Kipp and Peter Kipp; and a niece, Jennifer Hamadi.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau.

The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with pastor John Dehne officiating. Private burial will take place at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Cape River Heritage Museum or St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

Online condolences may be made at fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.