IN REMEMBRANCE
LOUIS L. KAHLE, MD 1935-2015
“We depend on nature not only for our physical survival. We also
need nature to show us the way home, the way out of the prison
of our minds. We got lost in doing, thinking, remembering, anticipating; lost in a maze of complexity and a world of problems.
We have forgotten what rocks, plants and animals still know. We
have forgotten how to be – to be still, to be ourselves, to be where
life is: here and now.” –Eckhart Tolle
L
ou Kahle arrived in Louisville with his wife, Barbara, and
four kids in July 1967, having just completed a Hematology
fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The family settled
into their new quarters quickly but it rained for six straight weeks
that July, causing a major flood in the basement of their home. Lou
was deeply involved with Mother Nature from that time on. Gardening was a favorite hobby. With his green thumb, he frequently
brought young seedlings to the office to be nurtured in the indoor
light there until they were ready for outdoor planting.
When they first moved out on Wolf Pen Branch Road, the property
had no city water supply so Lou used a cistern to collect rain water
from the roof. In the summer, when the cistern ran dry, he cleverly
combined a garden hose and pump to replenish the cistern from the
creek, uphill to the house, like any good pioneer. When the pump
inevitably broke, he had it welded. Eventually, Louisville Water
Company supplied water service to their home from a neighborhood
development nearby. As a result, Lou built a swimming pool for
Barb, providing a place at home for her favorite form of therapy.
Barb and Lou loved their home in the woods, even traveling the
back roads to locate an old wooden barn whose boards became the
interior walls for their new family room. The stone fireplace, wood
trimmed kitchen and outdoor patio overlooking the creek were
favorite gathering places.
Their wooded property furnished an outlet for his artistic urges,
especially whimsical carvings from tree trunks. The root balls served
as the characters’ hair while the limbs were carved into numerous
sturdy walking sticks, which he generously shared with friends. In
another creative endeavor, Dr. Kahle roped off his garden to block
the herds of deer. Unfortunately, the deer were undeterred, and only
Dr. Kahle was frustrated.
Lou and Barb were both exceedingly knowledgeable about flowers
of all kinds, especially wild flowers. It was exciting to walk with
them along Harrods Creek and past the old Cooper’s Mill across
from their own wooded property where they could identify every
plant and flower in bloom. Lou constructed bridges over the creek
on their property as well to enhance accessibility.
Their house was always full, with their four children and the many
pets they nurtured, always in pairs: hamsters and birds who were
so prolific that their offspring eventually had to be released into
the wild. Bruno and Marla, the Dobermans, were equally fruitful,
producing litters of 13 and 9 puppies which were given away to
friends and neighbors.
Lou’s love of nature came into full view at the pediatric office
we shared. He lovingly cared for our huge fish tank in the waiting
room, beloved by patients, parents and staff. The black plecostomus, a sucker-like catfish that roamed the bottom was a favorite,
although koi were his true love. Nicknamed the pediatric Captain
Kangaroo for his bristly sideburns, Lou was a dedicated pediatrician. He covered the Hematology Clinic at Childrens Hospital on
his days off in the 1960s and 70s. Besides regular office hours, he
participated in the evening and weekend coverage our office offered,
returning to suture cuts, treat ear infections and other illnesses
as needed. Other volunteer activities included Pre-Cana courses
on commitment and spirituality, which he taught at Holy Trinity
Church for couples considering marriage in the Catholic Church.
Family was the most important part of his life, however, as evidenced by the loving care he provided to Barbara and the unstinting
support he gave to their children and grandchildren over the years.
They all shared in his love of nature and the outdoors.
Medical partners for three decades:
-Richard S. Wolf, MD
-John F. Yusk, MD
JULY 2015
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