Joseph Charles Belshe

Dr. Joseph Charles Belshe filed his final flight plan in the evening of May 21, 2023, on his journey to collect his reward for a life filled with love and service to others. There, to see him off, were his wife and three close friends. He died from complications of a stroke at the age of 102.

A memorial service for Joseph will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 2:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801. A reception will be held after the service with light refreshments served.

Joseph was born on January 9, 1921, to Charles and Helen Belshe in Cement, OK. The family eventually made their way to Northfield, MN. He excelled academically and graduated from Carleton College in 1942. He continued his education at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine graduating in 1945. He was inducted into the military while in medical school and after his internship he was commissioned a first lieutenant and sent to serve at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital near Denver, CO. While there he assisted in treating soldiers coming back from the War. When polio broke out in the nearby civilian hospital, Joseph volunteered to take on the obstetric needs of that hospital. In his career as a physician, he estimated he delivered over 3,000 babies. He acquired the rank of captain and was honorably discharged.

While still in medical school Joseph worked in the nurses’ dining room and caught the eye of a pretty young nurse in training. Joseph and June Merthine Larsen were married October 14th, 1944, and had four children, Tara, Rana, Charles, and Korla. They were happily married until June died in 1969.

After returning from the service, he practiced briefly in his hometown of Northfield before joining a medical school friend in a practice in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. He practiced family medicine and general surgery. Most notably, he acted boldly in late winter of 1957 to save a patient brought into the small hospital ER in cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts failed so he and his physician partner fashioned a homemade defibrillator using a lamp cord and two stainless steel needles and were able to restore normal heart rhythm. This garnered much attention and accolades from all over the United States and beyond. This patient recovered well and lived a productive life for another thirty-four years. Joseph was a respected physician who thought outside the box.

In the early 1960’s he returned to the University of Minnesota and did a 3-year fellowship in Anesthesia. Essentially, he wanted to learn more about less. After finishing his specialty training, he was invited to practice at the Mayo Clinic. Joe’s heart was in the rural setting though, and he joined another anesthesiologist at the hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota. There he practiced until he founded the St. Cloud Surgical Center in 1972. He was a pioneer in the ambulatory surgery movement and changed how medicine was practiced, not only in Central Minnesota, but across the United States. His center is recognized as being the second in the nation to be licensed.

In 1970, Joseph married Mary Catherine Loch. Together they shared 53 years of marriage. Their married life was based on mutual love and respect. They engaged in an active lifestyle. They ran marathons, did triathlons, and did recreational cycling, always together.

Joseph remained active in cycling well into his 90’s. Eventually his rides became shorter and slower, and he did his last ride in December of 2022.

Joseph was a man of accomplishment. He was a faithful Christian, a gifted physician, a devoted husband, a dedicated father, grandfather and great grandfather, a poet, a lover of literature, a pilot, a self-proclaimed do-it-yourselfer, and a friend to many. John Wayne movies totally engrossed him!

He was preceded in death by his first wife, June, his parents, Charles and Helen, his siblings, Tom, Daisy, and Richard.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Mary, his children, Tara Nelson (Robert Eide), Rana Belshe (Joe Egloff), Charles (Cindy), and Korla McAlpine; his seven grandchildren, Kirsten (Reuben) Wagenius, Grant (Karmyn) Nelson, Alex (Dr. Brianna Bakow) Belshe, Caroline (Gabriel) Bergeron, Sarah (Mike) Clark, Heather (Travis) VanSchaick, and Maggie (Gabriel) Thorness. He was GG Joe to fourteen great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers please direct memorial gifts to First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801, or to Cornerstone Hospice Foundation, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, FL, 32778.