Herman J. Echsner Jr., M.D.

Herman J. Echsner, Jr., M.D., 94, passed away peacefully on October 11, 2019, surrounded by family at the Four Seasons Healthcare Center in Columbus, Indiana. He was born on September 1, 1925, in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1943. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served in the 15th Air Corps, 456 Bomb Group. Between December 15, 1944, and April 25, 1945, he flew 25 missions as a tail gunner in a B-24J Bomber over Austria, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Germany. He was a member of the Greatest Generation. Upon returning from the war, he attended Xavier University and graduated from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 1952. He married Virginia Blair Lechleiter in 1949. Dr. Echsner had a distinguished career as a physician in Columbus, Indiana. In 1953, he established a family practice and then in the early 1960s earned a degree in anesthesiology from the University of Vienna. He divided his practice between family medicine, anesthesia, and emergency medicine and practiced in one or more of those areas for over fifty years. He retired from medicine in 2003 at the age of 77. He was director of the Bartholomew County Hospital Emergency Department for 20 years. Dr. Echsner was elected Chief of the Medical Staff at Bartholomew County Hospital in 1963. In 1965, he built the first full service nursing home in Columbus, the Columbus Convalescent Center, still operational today, and was its medical director for over 35 years. Throughout his life, his patients could rely on him for his knowledge, judgment, sense of humor, and kindness. He made contributions to the world beyond his patients by living a life of integrity and dignity. In 2015, he received an Alumni Community Service Award from Saint Louis University. He was a devoted Catholic and was a member of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church. He was preceded in death by his children, Karen Echsner Kemp and Chris Gregory Echsner, parents Herman J. Echsner, Sr. and Bertha Herre Echsner, his brothers, Richard, Quentin, and Norbert (Doc) and his sisters Dorothy Curran, Thelma Sykes Sherman, and Patricia Beisler. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Virginia Blair Lechleiter Echsner, and four children: Mary Echsner Moore, Stephen (Rebecca) Echsner, Julie Echsner Gahimer and Amy Echsner Shaper; and 11 grandchildren, Bree, Sam, Amy, Alex, Herre, Brendon, Erin, Lauren, Alexandra, Tori and Hannah; great grandchildren; and sister, Joan Marie Echsner. The Echsner family extends the utmost gratitude to the medical, nursing and professional staff at the Four Seasons Retirement Community and from Our Hospice. The family will receive visitors at 10:00 am preceding an 11:00 am Memorial Mass to be celebrated at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church on October 26, 2019 with Fr. Clem Davis presiding. Military rites will be presented by the Bartholomew County Veteran’s Honor Guard at the church following the Mass. There will be no graveside service. Dr. Echsner will be cremated according to his wishes. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in memory and honor of Dr. Echsner to St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, 200 Hill Drive, St. Meinrad, Indiana 47577. Hathaway~ Myers Funeral Service is handling the arrangements.