Ashok G. Kumar, Warren, Ohio obituary

WARREN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Dr. Ashok G. Kumar, MD, passed away peacefully at Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield, Ohio, on Sunday, May 26.

He was born on October 24, 1938 in Kerala, India, son of the late Damodaran Gopinath and Rema Bai Gopinath.

He is survived by his loving wife, Ruthie (Hermiz) Kumar; his beloved children, Peter Kumar (Renee), Kiesha Ferrari (Larry), Michelle Perez (Ami) and Asha Gregory (Adam); my beloved grandchildren, Adam Kumar (Taylor), Samuel Kumar (Tricia), Benjamin Kumar, Brendan Malloy, Leat Perez, Solomon Kumar Perez and Noah Kumar Perez; great-granddaughter, Chloe Kumar;. brothers, Gopinath Radhakrishnan and Mohan Gopinath and sister, Ambika Gopinath (deceased).

Dr. Kumar graduated from Trivandum Medical College, Kerala University, India, in 1962.

Upon graduation, he embarked on his lifelong dream of moving to the United States of America and completing an internship at Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City, New York. It was there that he met the love of her life, Ruthie, and they were happily married on August 5, 1964, a marriage that has lasted almost 60 years.

From 1964 to 1965 he was a first-year resident physician in Internal Medicine at Northshore Hospital in Manhassett Long Island, New York. In 1965 they moved to Warren, Ohio, where they would live for the next 57 years. Dr. Kumar worked as a second-year resident at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio, from 1965 to 1966 and became chief resident from 1966 to 1967. He then served as an intern at Hillside Hospital in Warren from 1967 to 1969.

Dr. Kumar was able to obtain his U.S. citizenship by being drafted into the U.S. Army. He was proud and honored to serve the country he loved so much as a Major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1969 to 1970. He earned an Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star Medal for outstanding meritorious service in connection with military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. His service continued from 1970 to 1971 at Ford Ord Station Hospital in Monterey, California.

After his honorable discharge, he returned to Warren, Ohio, where he was assistant medical director at Hillside Hospital from 1971 to 1976. He then achieved his next goal of opening a private internal medicine practice in Howland, Ohio and became a member of the Trumbull staff. Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio. For the next 46 years he cared for his patients with dedicated care, saving countless lives with his outstanding diagnostic skills and empathetic bedside manner.

In January 2022, Dr. Kumar retired from practicing medicine at the age of 84 and moved with Ruthie to Solon, Ohio to live with his daughter Michelle and her family. Leaving his practice was the most difficult decision of his life because he truly loved his work. He had an unmatched intellect, passion for medicine and caring for others. During his retirement he continued studying medicine daily for hours at a time. He had a love of learning that never diminished, as did his love of tennis, rock music, and the Boston Celtics, but most of all, he loved spending time with his greatest legacy, the family he and Ruthie built together. He left them a lifetime of incredible memories that they will cherish forever.

Staying true to his dedication to learning and medicine, Dr. Kumar donated his body for use in medical research.

Relatives and friends may visit and pay tribute to Dr. Kumar’s family during memorial hours on Friday, May 31, 2024 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel in Warren, 1884 North Road NE. There will be a funeral with military honors beginning at 5:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in memory of Dr. Ashok G. Kumar to the Lerner School of Medicine. Checks can be mailed to Cleveland Clinic Philanthropy, PO Box 931517, Cleveland, OH 44193 or online at Give.ccf.org.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. Ashok G. Kumar, visit our flower shop.

A television tribute will air on Thursday, May 30 at the following approximate times: 7:10 am on FOX, 12:22 pm on WKBN, 5:08 pm on MyYTV and 7:27 pm on WYTV. The video will be published here on the day it is broadcast.