Neal David Clemenson, MD

Neal David Clemenson, MD

1954-2018

Neal D. Clemenson MD passed away Thursday, March 1, 2018 at his home in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Neal was born in 1954 in Kansas City, Missouri to Rev. F. William Clemenson and Jackie Du Jardin Clemenson. He married the love of his life Denise Flori PhD in 1980 and valued a rich partnership with her in their family and professional lives. Neal is survived by his wife; his son Andrew and fiancée Leslie Edgerton; his daughter Leah and her partner Jordan Gotcher; his sister Janet Clemenson and brother-in-law Phil Connolly; brother-in-law Chris Flori and partner Wale Akinosho; niece and nephew Emma and Dillon Connolly; his aunts Judy Nelsen and Isabelle Du Jardin; nieces and nephews Laura and husband Sean Rosales, Aaron Clemenson, Rachel Watson and husband Douglas Watson and their children Douglas, Karen, and Lily Watson; cousins Eileen and Scott Du Jardin and Scott’s wife Anita Du Jardin. Neal was preceded in death by his brother Mark Clemenson in 1994, sister Karen Clemenson in 2007, and parents Bill and Jackie Clemenson.

Upon graduating from high school in Greensburg, IN, Neal attended Purdue University, completing undergraduate studies in just three years. Neal went on to graduate from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1979. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in South Bend, IN and served as Chief Resident. Neal worked for two years as an emergency medicine physician in Warsaw, IN prior to accompanying his wife to Purdue University and joining a family medicine private practice in Lafayette, IN for 6 years. In 1990, he and his wife joined the University of Oklahoma Department of Family Medicine where he served as Program Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. In 1994 he was recruited by Baptist (now INTEGRIS Baptist) and Deaconess Hospitals to create and direct a jointly sponsored a training program called Great Plains Family Medicine Residency Program. He served as the first and only program director until his death. He recruited and retained an excellent cadre of faculty physicians, behaviorists and professional staff. Together with his team, they educated stellar family physicians to serve Oklahomans and citizens of many other states. As an educator, he was a frequent recipient of excellence in teaching awards from his resident trainees who valued his evidence-based knowledge tempered by years of clinical practice. He championed person-centered and family oriented care throughout the life course and advocated for family medicine’s continued engagement in obstetrical care.

In his leisure time he enjoyed travel with his family to a cottage on the dunes of Lake Michigan and hiking the 13 thousand foot Sangre de Cristo mountains of Taos, NM. Bicycling was a life-long passion and he routinely rode 17 miles per day through the Edmond, OK countryside. His singular life failure was teaching his daughter Leah to bicycle without breaking her arms and wrists. Together with his son Andrew, he participated in Boy Scouts and took pride in starting campfires with no more than one match. He read deeply in the areas of science and world religions and enjoyed spirited discussion focused on United States politics with family, friends and colleagues. During his down time, which he referred to as “nerding”, he restored classic calculators and rebuilt and donated computer tablets to family and friends.

Neal was highly regarded for his integrity, steadfast adherence to knowledge-based principles, critical appraisal of his own profession, his fundamental respect for others regardless of status, and devotion to family life. Neal’s deep engagement with life-long learning served as an inspiration to all who knew him; he will be greatly missed.

Memorial services will be held on Friday, March 9, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at James L. Henry Auditorium INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center Concourse 3300 NW Expressway Oklahoma City, OK and Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel Edmond, OK.