Fernando Augusto Bohorquez, Sr., MD

Fernando Augusto Bohorquez, Sr., MD passed on April 3, 2024; loving husband of Olga L. Bohorquez; beloved father Fernando Jr., Alex, Mauricio, and Michael; dear brother of Gèrman, Gustavo, Estella, and Fanny; cherished grandfather of Natasha, Solomon, Nina, Miles, Lucas, Leo, Naomi, Gio, and Tessie.

Like so many before him, and so many since, Fernando immigrated to the United States to build a better life for his family. Little did he know then that it would be his adopted country that would owe him the greater debt. He served the Towson area for decades as a general surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital and GBMC, saving hundreds of lives and helping thousands more. As the elder statesmen of the Latin American doctors who came to Baltimore in the 1970’s, he set the example of service, kindness, humility, and excellence they all aspired to meet.

With his loving wife Olga of 55 years, Fernando raised four sons and had nine grandchildren. He also sponsored several members of his extended family to make the difficult move from his native Colombia to the United States.

He was a good man who did great things. He also loved a nice bottle of red wine with a steak, as much as a cold beer on a summer day with a bushel of crabs. He could not get enough of Miles Davis, Cumbia and Pavarotti, and if Carl Sagan started a religion, he would have been its first disciple. He was above all curious. There wasn’t a subject he didn’t learn and a topic he couldn’t carry a conversation about. He adored the thrill of travel and seeing and breathing new sights and sounds and places.

He loved people, music, science, history, family, knowledge, and working hard. He was a gentle soul with a strong presence. Fernando was an example of integrity and a great sense of humor that made people smile even in the worst situations. Fernando was a beacon in the community. We’ve met so many people, “Your dad would take on the hardest tasks and just make it happen”. He was a quiet humble hero, that didn’t speak much, but when he did everyone listened.

We welcome you to come celebrate the memory of Dr. B at a service in his honor this Friday, April 12, 2024, 11:00am at St. Joseph Parish, 100 Church Lane, Cockeysville, MD 21030. After the service, please join us for a reception at the Bohorquez home at 1209 Dulaney Woods Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030 at 1pm.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation in our father’s memory to the Saint Clare Medical Outreach Center at the University of Maryland’s St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, which provides health care services to uninsured and underinsured undocumented immigrants. In addition to his long and storied career at St. Joseph’s, our dad volunteered his time at Saint Clare. Donations to St. Clare can be made on-line at the UM St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation - https://www.umms.org/sjmc/giving/donation-form. Please designate the donation as a Tribute Gift in honor of Dr. Fernando A. Bohorquez, Sr., and as “Other,” Saint Clare Medical Outreach Center.