Leo Gallaspy Horan

In Memoriam of Dr. Leo Gallaspy Horan, 1925 - 2022

We carry you in our hearts

Dr. Leo Gallaspy Horan entered home hospice care on July 6, 2022,

in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he and his wife, Dr. Nancy C. Flowers , (who preceded him in death in March of 2017) had lived with their daughter, Paige Horan LoPour, and son-in-law, Dr. Greg LoPour since May of 2009. On July 30, 2022, while surrounded by his loving family, Leo peacefully left this earthly world. He is survived by daughters Paige LoPour (Greg), Tracey Rensel, and son David (Pamela)  along  with  numerous  grandchildren  and  great grandchildren, whom he loved dearly.

Dr. Horan was born in New Augusta, Mississippi to Kate Gallaspy Horan (a schoolteacher and author) and Leo Horan (a lawyer, poet, and author) on September 17, 1925. He attended school mostly in Jackson, MS, and graduated from Central High School in June of 1943. He was accepted into the US Navy's V-12 program and reported for duty on the Tulane Campus in August of 1943 at the rating of Apprentice Seaman . After obtaining his B.S. degree at Tulane University and prior to his admission into Tulane Medical School, he volunteered for additional education and was sent to the nearby naval hospital for duty as a Corpsman. From there he went as Midshipman to Tulane University Medical School , graduating in 1949 with his M.D. degree and married a classmate, Dr. Jeanne Marcoux. He completed an internship at Salt Lake County General Hospital after which he reported for active duty in the Navy as a medical officer and served on the West Coast and in the Pacific theater.

He returned to civilian status in 1952, while remaining in the Naval Reserves , and began fellowships first in Internal Medicine , and later in Cardiology at Tulane. He was appointed Instructor of Medicine at Tulane (1956-1958) and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tulane (1958-1961). He also served as Chief of Cardiology Section at the VA Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, (1958-1961). While he and his first wife, Jeanne (who began her training in Pediatric Psychiatry), found their work-lives diverging, their time outside of their work centered around their son, David Leo Horan , born in 1958.

Given responsibility for the Vectorcardiography Laboratory at Tulane, Dr. Horan became intrigued by some of the inconsistencies encountered in his research. This interest led to a long friendship with Dr. Daniel A. Brody , Professor of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Medical Units, a leading expert in electrocardiography and research on the biophysical aspects of electrocardiography. This led to a subsequent move by Dr. Horan to Memphis, Tennessee where he would join the faculty of the University of Tennessee serving as Associate Professor of Medicine, 1961-1967 and a later appointment as Chief, Section of Cardiology (1964-1967) and Director, Fellowship Training, (1964-1967).

Moving to Memphis was life changing for Dr. Horan. While he was director of the fellowship training program at University of Tennessee, he would be assigned a bright and inquisitive research fellow named, Dr. Nancy C. Flowers. Leo thought Nancy was the funniest, brightest, most interesting person he had ever met--and beautiful too. Their meeting would begin a lifelong partnership professionally and personally. Dr. Leo Gallaspy Horan and Dr. Nancy Carolyn Flowers were married on July 23, 1966.

Drs. Horan and Flowers moved to Augusta, Georgia to join the faculty of the Medical College of Georgia , where the family grew by two daughters, Melissa Tracey Horan Rensel ( born in 1969) and Carolyn Paige Horan LoPour (born in 1970). In 1973, they were invited to move to Louisville, Kentucky , to join the faculty of The University of Louisville College of Medicine as Professors of Medicine.  Dr. Horan was appointed Chairman of Medicine, (1974 -1982) and Chairman, Cardiovascular Research, (1982 – 1983) at the University of Louisville and Chief, Medical Services at the Louisville General Hospital, (1974-1982).

Dr. Horan and Dr. Flowers would spend one year in Hampton, Virginia before returning to the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, serving as Professor of Medicine (1984-1993). Dr. Horan and his wife, Dr. Flowers, would retire from the Medical College of Georgia in 1993 as Professors of Medicine, Emeritus and move to Savannah, Georgia where they practiced with several former students before shifting to part-time teaching rotations at Memorial Hospital.

In 2005, Dr. Leo Horan and his wife, Dr. Nancy Flowers, welcomed the opportunity to join the faculty of University of Kentucky College of Medicine , after having moved to Somerset, Kentucky just outside of Lexington, in 2002 to be closer to their granddaughter, Sarah , born in 1999. Together, this husband-and-wife team taught and directed the Heart Station at UKHC Gill Heart & Vascular Institute.

In 2009, they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to live with their daughter, Paige and her husband, Dr. Greg LoPour, but remained on as part-time faculty at University of Kentucky Healthcare Gill Heart & Vascular Institute remotely reading EKG's and making routine visits to Lexington, KY. Sadly, Nancy died in March of 2017 at the age of 88.

In 2017, shortly after Nancy's death, Dr. Horan and his family made several gifts to the University of Kentucky, one to establish a Professorship in Nancy's name and a second gift establishing the Dr. Leo G. Horan & Dr. Nancy C. Flowers Lectureship in Cardiology with hopes that this annual lecture series would continue to inspire cardiologists and drive breakthrough research. The Inaugural Dr. Leo G. Horan & Dr. Nancy C. Flowers Lectureship in Cardiology took place in September of 2018 with the first award recipient and speaker, Dr. Kim Eagle, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Center at the University of Michigan Health System.

Dr. Horan and Dr. Flowers were pioneers in the field of electrophysiology and set the criteria for some of the first cardiac electrophysiology training programs. Dr. Horan authored over 200 professional publications, many co-authored with his wife, Dr. Nancy C. Flowers. In 2019, the University of Kentucky Healthcare Gill Heart & Vascular Institute named the Heart Station after Dr. Leo Horan and Dr. Nancy Flowers in honor of their lifelong contributions. Dr. Horan, along with his family, were so fortunate to be able to make the trip to Lexington, Kentucky to be present at the Heart Station dedication.

When someone has had such an illustrious career, the professional accomplishments are important to share, yet Leo was an extraordinary individual who shared many interests outside of medicine. He lived an amazing life, one that is to be celebrated for the remarkable person he was, not only professionally, but personally as well. He was among the last of a fading breed. He was truly one of the good ones; a pioneer in the field of Cardiology and Electrophysiology; scientist and the philosopher; a physician and a poet; an educator and humanitarian. He was a lover of the stars and keeper of words. He never forgot to whom he served and walked by Faith, practicing what he preached. He deeply loved his wife, cared for his family, and embraced his friends, with many of whom he shared life-long friendships.

He compassionately and skillfully treated his patients, found joy and satisfaction in teaching his medical students and mentoring his fellows, and always emphasized the personal above the purely clinical. He was an avid reader and a sensational thinker. He oozed wisdom, speaking profoundly without ever being presumptuous. And while he listened more than he talked, and was a soft-spoken person at that, when he did speak, people listened because they knew, if he had something to share, it was brilliant and spot on. No one wanted to miss a word of what he said.

Important to note that while this obituary is for Dr. Leo G. Horan, one cannot write about him without including his wife, Nancy. Leo wouldn't have it any other way.

There will be a small private Memorial and as per Leo's wishes his remains will be cremated and joined with his loving wife, Nancy's ashes and they will be spread at a special place and time. An In Memory Of page has been created and we would love for those who knew Leo to share any stories or comments so that the rest of us can enjoy in reading and remembering.

Contributions in honor of Dr. Horan can be made directly to the already established Dr. Leo G. Horan and Dr. Nancy C. Flowers Lectureship Fund at the University of Kentucky Health Center Gill Heart & Vascular Institute : https://uky.networkforgood.com/causes/18739-dr-nancy-c-flowers-dr-leo-horan-lectureship-in-cardiology-fund?utm_source=UKHC_website&utm_medium=website