Dr. Richard Glendening

Dr. Richard L. Glendening, who practiced medicine in Logansport for 41 years and then served nearly five years as Cass County’s public health officer, passed away peacefully at Logansport Memorial Hospital on September 17, 2011, a week after his 87th birthday.
The son of Richard N. and Louise (née Densford) Glendening, Dr. Glendening was born in Richmond, IN, on September 10, 1924. He grew up in Iowa, where his father was an insurance representative. He graduated from high school in Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he was a trombone player in the Fort Dodge Municipal Band under the direction of the legendary Karl L. King. He attended the University of Iowa before joining the Army during World War II. After completing basic training he continued his undergraduate studies on an accelerated war-time schedule at The Citadel and Johns Hopkins University prior to graduating from the Georgetown University Medical School. While attending medical school, he worked as an orderly at Walter Reed Hospital. Later, upon completing his internship and residency at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, he was recalled to the Army and to service in the Korean War. After completing his service, he was honorably discharged with the rank of captain, but continued service in the Army reserves. Dr. Glendening established his practice in Logansport in 1954 and retired in 1995. Shortly thereafter he was appointed public health officer for the county. Dr. Glendening was a board certified family practitioner and general surgeon.
Proud of his Scots heritage (he wore the kilt and colors of Clan Douglas), Dr. Glendening was an accomplished bagpiper, who frequently played his pipes at marriages and memorial services in the Logansport area. He also “jammed” with cousins who were members of the Detroit Bagpipe Band. Once while attending a piping master class in New York, his instructor, Mr. Brown, one of the Queen’s pipers, became seriously ill. Dr. Glendening’s quick response to the situation was credited with saving the piper’s life. As a result, a correspondence began and Dr. Glendening became the regular recipient of rare, private recordings of the piper’s renditions of pibroch, the traditional music of the Scottish Highlands.
Dr. Glendening served three terms as chief of staff of the Logansport Memorial Hospital, and as a chief of staff at the former St. Joseph Hospital. He served as a deacon and an elder of Calvary Presbyterian Church. His community activities included the Lions Club and Red Cross. He was an Eagle Scout and had three sons who were also Eagle Scouts. A man of many interests, he enjoyed pheasant hunting with relatives near Huron, S.D. He was also an avid fisherman and photographer. He also delighted in tinkering with new technologies, and, with his sons, flying remote-controlled airplanes. He was fond of cats, particularly the much-beloved “Felix”, his surviving pet who is now in the care of family members.
During his years of practice, Dr. Glendening delivered hundreds of babies in the Logansport area, and provided care to multiple generations of Cass County families. He maintained a thoughtful and caring relationship with his patients. On occasion, when he was aware a patient was in financial hardship, he would waive payment for his services, or accept it in the form of eggs, poultry, a leg of lamb, a jar of mincemeat, or a home-baked coffee cake. He would eat such a cake with a well-brewed cup of coffee, which he liked served with milk to match the color of the Des Moines River as it flows by Fort Dodge.
On June 16, 1949, he married Ellen (née Heflebower), his wife of 62 years. Dr. and Mrs. Glendening were strong advocates of quality education. Shortly after moving to Logansport, the couple often hosted gatherings of like-minded citizens in their kitchen to work on a successful effort to establish an elected school board and school-board nominating committee in Logansport. Mrs. Glendening, a former member of the Logansport City Council and the city’s public utility board, survives her husband, along with four children: Ann, Spokane, WA; Tom, Orlando, FL; Owen, Ft. Mill, S.C., and Andrew, Redlands, CA. Six grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, 12 nieces and nephews and 34 grandnieces and nephews, including the children and grandchildren of his beloved only sister, Joan (Glendening) Garvey and the late Michael Garvey of Indianapolis. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, a son, Paul, and a nephew, Michael.
His family expresses special gratitude for the kindnesses extended to Dr. Glendening during his final days by Kim Carroll, the Hope Hospice, Dr. David L. Morrical, Peggy Nies, Dr. Oskar A. Oskarson, Dr. Ruben Vizcarra, members of the Garvey family and the staffs of Logansport Memorial Hospital and Miller’s Merry Manor.
Visitation is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, September 23 at Gundrum Funeral Home in Logansport. Funeral services will be conducted at the funeral home on Saturday, September 24, at 1:30 p.m. Memorial messages may be posted to the funeral-home Web site: www.gundrumfuneralhome.com. The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, that memorial contributions be directed to The Salvation Army (418 4th St Logansport, IN 46947) or the Cass County Historical Society (1004 East Market Street, Logansport, Indiana 46947).

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