Dr. Nelson Howard “Duke” Kohl, D.O., died peacefully Dec. 14, 2016, at Gulfside Hospice House in Zephyrhills after a brief illness.
The love of his life, Patricia Jolles and his cat, Lucy, were at his bedside.
He was born March 24, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Herbert and Ida Kohl. He graduated from Olney High School in 1954, and then attended the Temple University School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1959. From there, he attended the Philadelphia school of Osteopathic Medicine and graduated in 1963. He had a private practice in family medicine in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, from 1964 to 1994 and was the director of emergency medicine at Tri-County Hospital in Springfield for many years.
He moved to Plant City in 1995, where he worked for Tampa General Hospital and opened a satellite clinic at Strawberry Plaza. When the clinic was sold to Health Point, he continued to work there until he retired at the age of 69.
He was an old-fashioned kind of doctor. He cared for his patients with compassion, integrity and a true sense of caring for each and every one of them. While in private practice, he cared for three generations of many of his patients. He was well-respected and admired in the medical community as being a physician of knowledge, skill and ethics. His genuine heart and caring nature carried through to his love for his daughters, Robyn and Sherri, as well as the love of his life, Patricia and his ‘fur kid,’ Lucy.
He is survived by the love of his life, Patricia Jolles; fur kid, Lucy Rose; daughters, Robyn Van Dusen (Eric) and Sherri Owles (Chris); granddaughters, Storey and Charlotte Owles; brothers, Bill Kohl (Hilda) and Ronnie Somers (Bobby); sister-in-law, Jean Kohl; ex-wife, Marlene Kohl; several nieces and nephews; and fur grandkids, Max Van Dusen and Candy Owles.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Ida Sagel; father, Herbert Kohl; stepmother, Leah Kohl; brothers, Norman and Raymond Kohl; and sister-in-law, Lois Kohl.
The family would like to thank Moffitt Cancer Center, South Florida Baptist Hospital and Gulfside Hospice and Palliative Care for caring for him in his final days.
A celebration of life luncheon will be held Feb. 19, 2017, in Plant City.
Memorial contributions in his honor may be made in his name to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay at HumaneSocietyTampa.org.