"Marsha & family:Though it has been many years since I worked with Dr. Baltes , I have always remembered him fondly. I am so sorry."
In loving memory of
Dr. William Edward Ed Baltes
March 23, 1950 - September 8, 2016
Dr. William Edward Baltes, 66, died Thursday, September 8, 2016. He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Dr. Joseph H. and Margaret Baltes. He graduated from St. John the Baptist grade school, Bishop Luers High School, attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, and graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine. Ed completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. He and his family moved back to Fort Wayne in 1980 where he practiced cardiology for thirty years.
Ed was passionate about medicine and loved his work. He never turned anyone away because they couldnt pay, believing that Gods plan for him was to use his talent and education to care for all people who came to him for medical care. Ed was a tireless advocate for his patients.
Ed was Chief of Staff at St. Joseph Hospital and worked for the good of the hospital, taught for the IU School of Medicine, and mentored many medical students and PA students. He loved to share his knowledge with anyone who was interested in learning.
He was a true gentleman of integrity, compassion, generosity, and kindness known for his exceedingly quick wit and sense of humor. Ed loved learning, and studied many non-medical subjects that he felt would complement his practice of medicine.
Ed was devoted to his family. He loved cooking big meals, sharing stories, and spending time with them. The dinner table often included a guest who he always made feel like a part of the family.
He is survived by his wife, Marsha; sons, Jonathan (Lisa) Baltes, Christopher (Adrienne Romary) Baltes; daughters, Emily Baltes, and Elizabeth (Steven) Kady; and grandchildren Will and Greta Baltes, as well as thousands of patients he cared for and looked after like family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Margaret; brothers, Joseph and Richard; and sister, Nancy Jones.
Memorial Mass is at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14th, 2016, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church 4525 Arlington Avenue, with calling one hour prior. A celebration of Eds life will follow Mass from 2:30-7p.m. at Fort Wayne Country Club, 5221 Covington Road. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Cure PSP. Arrangements by DeMoney-Grimes, a LifeStory Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City, IN. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to sign the online guest register or to send the family a condolence.
Tributes
"To the Baltes Family,You all have my deepest sympathy. All who had the joy of knowing him were blessed. I pray that God will give you strength and comfort. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this time.Sincerely,Connie McGowin"
"Emily and Baltes family,I'm sorry for your loss. I'll be praying for you, especially this week."
"Wishing you peace and love at this time of grief. In christ love our prayers and thoughts. Dick and Wanda Smith"
"To Ed's wife and children - wanted to write a note to you. Ed and I wereclassmates at St. John the Baptist school and Bishop Luers High School.How sorry such a talented man was taken at such an early age.God bless all of you."
"Ed was not only a great physician, he was one of the most kind and caring men I have ever met. He really was a doctor's doctor! It was an honor to both know and work with him."
"Our heart goes out to the family of Dr Baltes.He was an amazing physician,clinician,teacher and mentor.Always had a positive attitude.His humanistic and altruistic traits were greatly admired.May God give peace to the departed soul and courage to the family to deal with this irrepairable loss."
"To the Baltes Family; Marcia, Jon, Chris, Emily, and Elizabeth, I am sorry to hear of your great loss. Your father left quite a legacy, His sense of humor and dry wit mentioned in the obituary was passed on to his children as I recall your days in Canterbury Middle School. May your family and friends surround you and give you comfort at this time and in the days ahead."
"To Marsha and your family. You are in my prayers at this time. Ed and I were classmates at Bishop Luers. Many a noon lunch was spent with corny jokes, puns and lots of laughter. What a gentle spirit and talented man. I saw your 2 sons at Luers about a year ago when they honored the Class of 1968 Mens Tennis Team for its SAC championship. They were there to represent their dad and what a testiment to you and Ed's parenting! Hopefully all the great memories will help you through these difficult times. God bless you."
"To Marsha and Ed's family. I am a former patient of Dr. Baltes. I will always remember his kindness and I am alive and well because of his proceedure on my heart. Please except my sympathy during this time of sorrow. As always Richard T. Bond."
"Dear Marsha and Family,The world has lost a wonderful man. May memories keep the one you loved close to you in spirit and thought and always in your heart, today and forever. We send our deepest condolences.Following is a poem by Amy Carmichael, Missionary: "They are lost to us Who are found to Christ. They are not sent away, Only sent ahead. Sometimes they simply Outrun us In this quick race home.""
"In the passing of Ed Baltes, I have lost the first mentor in my medical life. I met Ed when I was a medical student and he was my preceptor. He was an excellent cardiologist and teacher, but more importantly, he was an even better human being. Over the years as I completed medical school, residency in family practice, and then went into my own practice in the area, Dr. Baltes remained a great mentor and friend and always seemed to have that perpetual smile on his face that I could even hear in his voice if we talked on the phone. I am a better doctor and a better man for having had the privilege of having Ed Baltes cross my path. Comfort and blessings to the family and be very secure in the knowledge that he was loved by peers, patients, and friends,and that he touched countless lives in a most positive way- mine included. Most respectfully, Dave Johnson."
"We just want to honor Dr. Baltes for taking such great care of Deloris. She had great faith in him. He always called her his energizer bunny. He saw her through many heart surgeries. We will be forever grateful for the years he gave us with her. He saved her life more than once. We are so sorry for your loss. Our prayers are with you, Sue Pyle and family"
"I only met Dr. Baltes once as a patient, but have always been impressed by his kindness and as a person who could accept a stranger as if a friend. I have kept him in my prayers for many years. My sympathy for your family, but know he's in a wonderfilled place. God's blessings."
"Dear Marsha and family,My sincere sympathy to you on the passing of Ed. His beautiful obituary certainly highlighted his goodness and kindness as a doctor, family man, faith-filled Catholic, and loyal citizen of the community. You will be in my prayers in these days ahead as will be Ed's memory. In my few years at St. John's I remember him for his warm and friendly smile and kindness. It came naturally, as I also remember Joe and Margaret for their same kindness."
"I am so saddened by the loss of this great man. I worked at St Joe Hospital and later as a rounding nurse there. Dr Baltes was always a pleasure to be around. Kind, intellegent, easy to talk to. So good to his patients and their families. Just an all around awesome doctor and person. The world is at a loss without him. May he rest in paradise."
"He was my family's ROCK in some very rough patches...from my mom's first bypass surgery to my dad's pancreatitis to Bill's congestive heart failure. He was the one we turned to when mom and dad were both in the hospital, and the hospital wanted to send them home separately....he made sure they went home together so they could care for each other.He was the one who broke Bill's pipe in front of him to make him stop smoking, and he and Dot (his nurse) sent faxes to Cardinal telling him to STOP SMOKING! And he was there for me all through it, giving me hugs and talking to me calmly about procedures, options and sketches he drew about what was happening.When he retired because of his illness, I was devastated that such a brilliant and caring man would no longer be there.I missed him then...and I miss him now even more!I am saying prayers for his family, and rejoicing that he and Bill will be joking with each other in heaven!"
"I was so sad to hear of Ed's passing. He was a great guy. I was lucky enough to know him as a cousin and a Dr. I was always so proud to let people know we were related. My best memory of him was as I was younger and walking home from St. John's he would past me coming home from Luers in his 1955 or 57 two tone blue Chevy and honk and wave, I thought he was so cool in that car, and I found out he was cool without the car too. He will be missed but he has touched so many people's hearts both physically and spiritually. I am sure God has made a very special place for him. Peace to his family, he will me missed but never forgotten"
"Dr. Baltes was my cardiologist for 25 years. He was a professional and compassionate person and many times displayed his sense of humor. I never dreaded my annual treadmill as there would be teasing of the nurses and a few jokes. He adjusted medications to keep my brother Dick alive until they located a donor heart that extended his life 20 years. Our deepest sympathy to his family."
"So sorry for your loss. Always enjoyed Eds great humor! All the best to your family from ours."
" A PREMIUM FRUIT AND GOURMET BASKET was ordered on September 10, 2016 "
"I feel so fortunate to have been an employee of Baltes Cardiology from 1998-2010. Dr. Baltes was a very kind, compassionate man with a great sense of humor. He was an extraordinary cardiologist, going out of his way to make sure his patients received excellent care (no matter what their financial status). My heart goes out to his wife and children. He is greatly missed."
"May each of you find courage to face tomorrow as you rest in the knowledge that we truly care about each of your needs and that we will be here to walk beside you in your journey of grief.Randy Grimes, Brett Gerber and the Staff of DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home"