Dr. Louis Chaboudy

Article taken from The Portsmouth Daily Times, Thursday, November 13, 2002

Popular physician played a key role in bringing murals to Portsmouth.

The Portsmouth area on Wednesday mourned the death of a man who was much more than just a beloved physician.

Dr. Louis R. "Lou" Chaboudy, of 2330 Sherman Road, Portsmouth, died Tuesday in Southern Ohio Medical Center. He was 84.

"He was a role model for other physicians in terms of his care and concern for his community," said Sallie Schisler, spokeswoman for SOMC. "He provided invaluable leadership and the medical and health care community will miss him very much."

But what was so amazing about the doctor, she said, was all the other projects in which he was involved -- Boneyfiddle renovation floodwall murals, restoring history in the Phillip Moore Stone House.

Born in Portsmouth, Chaboudy graduated from Portsmouth East High School in 1936 and from West Virginia College in 1941. He graduated from the University of Cinncinnati Medical School in 1944.

He was enlisted in the Army Student Training Program while in medical school and later served two years as a medical officer in the Army, where he was discharged as a captain in 1947.

He began a general practice in Portsmouth two years later after completing his internship at St. Louis City Hospital.

He had an office in Portsmouth and a branch office in Lucasville.

He next served a three-year residence in obstetrics and gynecology at St. Luke Hospital in Cleveland, then returned to Portsmouth, where he practiced until his retirement in 1985.

He was awarded a pin in recognition for 50 years in the practice of medicine by the Scioto County Medical Society.

Chaboudy was president emeritus of Portsmouth Murals Inc., and his wife, Ava, was secretary for the organization.

The 52 floodwall murals, painted by Louisiana artist Robert Dafford and dedicated Oct. 5, 2002, resulted chiefly from an idea of Chaboudy's and his wife's in 1992.

That year, they saw a similar project in Steubenville and later met Dafford in New Orleans, where he showed them several murals that he had completed there.

After meeting with committee members in Portsmouth, which had the murals in the planning stage, the Chaboudy's invited Dafford to come and meet the committee and look at the floodwall.

Chaboudy lent in his time and talents to many civic and charitable events in the Portsmouth area and, in June 1969, was eleceted president of the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce.

Chaboudy's patients knew him as a sympathetic doctor who took time to lift their spirits as well as their physical ills.

"He was so compassionate," said Nancy Robinson of Forest Heights, South Shore. "If a good thing happened to me, he was as happy as I was. And if something bad had happened, he cried with me."

Robinson said she got bad news from Chaboudy more than 30 years ago that she had a form of cancer that was inoperable.

"He set up and experimental six-month treatment for me," she said. "I saw it through and today I am still cancer free."

"I believe the Lord uses whatever means are at hand when He heals us. Dr. Chaboudy was a Christian, and, although we never talked about it, I believe he felt the same way as I did about me healing."

Funeral services for Dr. Chaboudy will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Second Presbyterian Church, 801 Waller St., Portsmouth.

Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the F.C. Daehler Mortuary Company, 915 9th street.

Full details on the services can be found on page A2 of today's edition of the Daily Times.

Last Updated:
Friday, November 14, 2003 2:12 PM