Dr. John Daniel Lovett was born October 24, 1926, at his grandparent’s home in Murray, which is now the president’s home at Murray State University. He died peacefully in his own bed, at home in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, June 25, 2021. In between those two days, John lived a full life.
John D. spent his childhood in Murray roaming freely in a manner that would be unheard of today. At one point, he pooled his money with other boys to purchase a model T so they could drive themselves to the swimming hole. Only one boy in the group was old enough to drive. At the beginning of World War II, John’s family moved to Columbus, Ohio where his father was stationed. He attended Upper Arlington High School where he starred in football, basketball, and track. He joined the Navy in 1944 and was sent to Miami of Ohio University as part of the Navy’s V-12 program. While at Miami of Ohio, he was approached by the football coach, future Hall of Fame inductee Sid Gillman, to play on the football team, but he declined to concentrate on his studies. However, he did find time to run on the track team and was third in the 100-yard dash at the All-Ohio College meet. Unfortunately for his children, they did not inherit his speed.
By the time the war ended, he had completed most of his pre-med education and was accepted into the Ohio State University Medical School at age 19. Because of his young age, he requested a one-year deferment and enrolled at Ohio State as an undergraduate. He walked on to the basketball team and was a member of the 1946 team that made it to the final four of the NCAA tournament. After graduating from medical school and a year of internship, he was called back into the Navy to serve as a flight surgeon. While on his way to Pensacola, Florida to report for duty, he stopped in Owensboro to visit his brother Wells Lovett, who set him up on a blind date with Louisa Wilson. Within a year, Louisa and John married and began their life together. While in the Navy, he served as a flight surgeon on several aircraft carriers stationed off the coast of Korea during the war there. After leaving the Navy, he completed his residency in internal medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan before moving to Owensboro where he and Louisa raised their three children, and he had a long career as an internist, retiring at age 65.
John was an avid outdoorsman. He loved quail hunting, especially with his best friend, Wyndall Smith, golf, and tennis, but his real passion was snow skiing. He learned to ski in California while stationed there with the Navy in the 1950s and skied every year thereafter. After he retired, he and Louisa spent their winters in Glenwood Springs, Colorado so he could ski. They made many good friends and moved to Glenwood permanently in 2004. At age 87 he was still skiing over 100 days a year. His last day of skiing was at age 90.
He stopped driving at age 91 but remained at his own home until his death being cared for by his children and wonderful caregiver, Carol Schreiner.
John was a member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church for nearly 50 years. He loved his Sunday School class at Settle and would attend whenever he was back in Owensboro from Colorado. In Glenwood Springs, John and Louisa were members of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.
John was predeceased by Louisa in 2018.
He is survived by their children, Nancy Wells Lovett of Greencastle, Indiana, John Wilson Lovett (Jeannie) of Wilmington, North Carolina, and Daniel Clay Lovett (Emily) of Steamboat Springs, Colorado; granddaughters, Kathryn Armstrong Lovett of Denver, Colorado and Julia Louise Lovett Schaffner (Reese) of Portland, Oregon.
He was also predeceased by his brother, Wells Thomas Lovett (Mary).
He is survived by his brother’s three sons, John Thomas Lovett (Melissa) of Louisville, Howard Wells Lovett (Kelly) of Fort Worth, Texas, James Whitfield Lovett (Robin) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and their families, which include ten great nieces and eight great-great nieces and nephews. He is also survived by nine nieces and nephews and their families through Louisa’s family, including Owensboro residents, Mary Martha Wilson Reynolds (Danny), Robert L. Wilson, and Sam Wilson (Nancy).
A graveside service will be held at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Owensboro Memorial Gardens. The service will be performed by a close friend of the family, Mel Doughty, who, many years ago, served as the youth pastor for First Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, August 13, 2022, at James H. Davis Funeral Home. Friends and family are invited to gather for food, refreshments, and fellowship at The Cupola Club, 521 Frederica St., Owensboro at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, August 13, 2022. Please bring your John D. stories.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Settle Memorial United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1756, Owensboro, KY 42302 or St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 546 Hyland Park Dr., Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
Online messages of condolence may be made at www.davisfuneralhome.com.