Juanito Villahermosa Obituary

Dr. Juanito Llosa "Dr. John" Villahermosa1930-2023Juanito (Dr. John) Villahermosa, 93, died September 4, in Middleton, WI. Dr. John came to Savannah with his wife, Alice (deceased), and their two daughters, Melicia (Mellie) and Bibiana (Bibi) in 1969 to practice with Drs. Gilbert Kelley and Warren Baker. Dr. John went on to serve patients in Northwest Missouri until his retirement in 2014. Dr. John was born on June 26, 1930, to Antonino Bibera and Felicidad Llosa Villahermosa on the island of Leyte in the Philippines, when it was a commonwealth of the United States. He was raised in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, but spent his early adolescent years hiding with family and friends amid the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines during World War II. Following the American liberation, he went on to excel in academics and student leadership roles. He completed his secondary education in Dumaguete and pre-medical studies and medical school at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. In 1957, he traveled to New York for a medical internship at the Arnot Ogden Memorial Hospital in Elmira, followed by a surgical internship at Highland Hospital in Rochester, and then completed a medical residency in general surgery at the University of Rochester. He met Alice (nee Bump), a surgical nurse and instructor, during his internship. They married on May 2, 1959, at St. Catherine Church in Addison, NY. Their two daughters were born during his residency. Upon completing residency, Dr. John returned to the Philippines with his young family to serve as the inaugural director of Holy Child, a Catholic hospital in Dumaguete. In 1965, they returned to the United States and moved to St. Joseph, where Dr. John and Alice worked at the former Sisters Hospital. Four years later, the family settled in Savannah. After practicing for nearly two decades in Savannah, he focused solely on general surgery when he joined the practice of Dr. Edward Beheler in St. Joseph for a brief period of time before retiring from general surgery due to health reasons. He then served patients at several MedClinic sites and continued to provide care at the Savannah clinic upon it becoming a Northwest Health Services site. A few years after arriving in Savannah, Dr. John was named a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and then the International College of Surgeons. He was a member of the Missouri Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, Missouri State Surgical Society, Kansas City Surgical Society, and the Buchanan County Medical Society. Throughout his career, he was recognized for his dedication to patient care by several community groups and was recognized by the American Medical Association for achieving 50 years in medical practice. Upon retirement, he received the Samuel U. Rodgers Achievement Award from the Missouri Primary Care Association in recognition of his commitment to expanding access to health services for Missouri's medically underserved. During their 50 plus years together, Dr. John and Alice remained devoted to their Catholic faith and were active members of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Savannah. Both were recipients of the Rose Award for their years of service to St. Rose. In addition, John was a fourth-degree member of the Henry Bruns Council #6244 Knights of Columbus. Both were avid football fans with wonderful memories of attending Savannah High School, William Jewell College, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame, and Kansas City Chiefs games. Later in life, their greatest passion was spending time with their great-grandchildren. Following retirement, Dr. John traveled to and from the Philippines several times, allowing for sightseeing opportunities throughout the islands along with trips to Hong Kong and Singapore. He also enjoyed spending his most recent winters in Summerville, SC, where he quickly became a well-loved member of the Carillon at the Ponds community. Dr. John was preceded in death by his parents, an infant brother, an infant son, and his wife. He is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Mellie and Joseph Pouwels of Middleton and Bibi and Randy Miller of St. Joseph, and by granddaughter Chana Pouwels Roschyk, her spouse Jeremy, and three great grandchildren, Anaya, Creed, and Kale Locke of Granger, IN. Dr. John's family would like to share their appreciation for the care he received prior to his passing. During his decline, he received care from several medical professionals affiliated with University of Wisconsin Health, Medical University of South Carolina, UnityPoint Health-Meriter Wellness Center, Caring Made Easy Home Care, and Agrace Hospice Care. Arrangements pending under the direction of Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, the Andrew County Food Pantry, or to a charity of the donor's choice. Online guest book and obituary at www. meierhoffer. com.