There he would remain for over three decades. 5,000 miles later, they realized how much they still loved each other.
“Dr. Dobbs had a vision. He wanted to create a medical com-
munity where we’d work and be treated equally. After three years,
you became a full partner. Everyone had the same respect, the
same standing. When someone was limping, everyone else helped
shoulder the load. We all limp from time to time,” he said. “When you’re married to someone for 35 years, you need to
meet that person over and over again. Often times, you’re devoting
more time to your children or your career than to your soulmate.
Having that time together, we discovered that we were very grateful
and happy to be married.”
Throughout his residency and fellowship, Dr. Grimaldi and his
wife had three children: Manuel Jr., Alicia and Angela. The three
children begat seven grandchildren. These days, Dr. Grimaldi is a
regular fixture in their lives. After his Saturday morning men’s prayer
group, he brings donuts to all his grandchildren. “I’m making the
rounds,” he laughed. Back in Louisville, Dr. Grimaldi was approached by Father David
Sanchez of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. “He came to me and said,
‘What are you doing?’ I said I was retired. He said, ‘You’re a doc-
tor, right? You have to go back to work.’ I was raised in a Catholic
tradition; I can’t say no to a priest. So, I began to lend a hand at the
Family Community Clinic.”
“Every step in our lives has meaning. If you grow without the
affection of a nuclear family, you know how important it really is.
So, Encarnita and I want to do the best for our family and help them
in every way we can.” That simple nudge would lead to a life-affirming second wind.
Soon Dr. Grimaldi became a regular at the no cost Family Commu-
nity Clinic housed in St. Joseph’s basement which provides health
care to the uninsured. Over 300 volunteers, physicians, nurses,
donors and many more have all been a part of the extraordinary
facility that, in October 2018, moved to a new location in the Old
Parish School. “I’m very proud, because we’ve served the working
poor who have no one. We only see uninsured people, and many
(continued on page 32)
When he retired in 2007, the stationary life shocked Dr. Grimal-
di. “What the hell was I to do with my life?” he asked. After a few
days putting his world in order, he and Encarnita drove a car to the
Grand Canyon and wherever else they felt like. Some 21 days and
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