Dr. Charles W. Calhoun will be hanging up his stethoscope Friday after 42 years of practicing medicine on the corner of West Second and West Pine streets in Seymour.
Calhoun was born in Chicago about 70 years ago and grew up there. He attended college at the University of Notre Dame, followed by medical school in Chicago, where he graduated in 1976.
He then went to Indiana University Medical Center and completed his three years of family practice residency in June 1979.
Calhoun said he met two important people in his life during medical training — his future wife, Shara, and Mark Bevers.
“In 1977, I was still in training when I met Dr. Mark Bevers, the first of two doctors who would play a big role in my ending up a happy doctor,” Calhoun said. “I didn’t even know where Seymour was at that time, but he urged me to check it out. I would be needed.”
Calhoun and Shara liked Mark a lot, and they ended up liking Seymour a lot, he said.
Charles and Shara were married in June 1979. Then after a two-week honeymoon, he started his practice here in July. The couple have five children.
“Until Mark died 15 years later, he was a good friend and aided me often during my early years,” Calhoun said. “He was very generous with his time and always offered to cover for me if I ever needed time off.”
Calhoun said he was always impressed with how much Bevers enjoyed being around all sorts of people.
“Rich or poor, polite or ornery, washed or unwashed, he took care of and enjoyed them all. He was always at ease,” he said. “Dr. Bevers’ biggest favor was pitching me to the doctor who would really influence my career. Mark’s efforts led to a phone call I received in December of 1978.”
Calhoun said the caller asked if he wanted to go into practice with “an old fart.” That was their first conversation, and the conversations didn’t stop for the next 20 years. In July 1979, he started practicing with Dr. Joe Black.
“I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without the help of others, and I really want to give credit to both Mark Bevers and Dr. Black,” Calhoun said. “They were both originally from Seymour, and both died without a retirement. They died in the saddle.”
Bevers was about five years older than Calhoun, and Black died at the age of 82.
Both of those men were well known in the community and originally from Seymour, and both need credit because they never got a retirement writeup in the newspaper, they got obituaries, Calhoun said.
Black was a trustee at Indiana University and very involved in the state medical society, and without him, Calhoun said he never would have had such a fulfilling career.
“Joe Black put up with me for over 20 years. I don’t know how he did it,” Calhoun said. “Early on, we had the lawyers draw up all kinds of documents, and we both signed them, but that was the last we ever saw of the documents.”
The two doctors enjoyed each other’s company, and Calhoun marveled at how much Black trusted him.
“I soon realized how fortunate I was to be able to watch a veteran practitioner. He never lectured me, but I learned so much by just observing,” Calhoun said.
Like Bevers, Black was at ease with all types of people. He enjoyed seeing his patients, and his appointments would often go overtime because they got carried away telling stories, Calhoun said.
“In medicine and to be a good doctor, you really have to be comfortable with people of all types, and both of those men did that very well,” Calhoun said.
Calhoun would watch how they could walk into a room and immediately set the tone of friendship, and they were good ole boys and the patients really appreciated that, he said.
“The patients always left feeling better. They loved Joe, and that often was the secret sauce that helped the patient get better,” he said. “I told myself I could learn a lot from this guy. I hope I did.”
Calhoun said Bevers and Black were able to convince the patient they cared for them, they were on their side and the patient wasn’t imposing on them in any way.
“The patient left thinking ‘The doctor liked me,’ and that’s the message they sent, and that’s what I saw and that’s how I wanted to be, too,” he said.
Calhoun said some doctors don’t like being approached in public, but neither Black nor Bevers ever minded at all, and they kind of thrived on it. They were never too busy to be kind.
“They really looked after me. Nobody can make it on their own,” Calhoun said. “You have to have some luck and people supporting us. I was lucky enough to have two of them.”
Black bought the corner property in about 1948, so there has been a practice there for more than 70 years.
“There have been a lot of people who this is the only doctor’s office they’ve ever gone to in their entire lives,” Calhoun said. “Joe helped a lot of people get born in the 1950s who have been coming here ever since.”
Calhoun said Black was very tolerant and trusted him like he couldn’t believe. They got along really well, and he doesn’t know if there is any parallel experience around like the one they had together.
“Joe died in December of 1999, and I knew there was no use looking for somebody to take his place,” Calhoun said. “Nobody was going to put up with me the way he did, except for my staff, that is.”
He said his staff has been a loyal, hardworking group.
“Sandy Sunderman was with us for 34 years, Dee Hess 30 years, Anne Johnson 25 years, Joannie Carpenter 20 years and for Sherry Weaver, it has been the only job she has ever had — 41 years,” he said.
Calhoun said it’s extraordinary to have such low turnover with staff members, and that’s the second reason he’s such a happy doctor because he rarely had any personnel problems.
“They’ve been very loyal, and they play a big role in helping people get better. There was no way I could have practiced without them,” he said. “All I can say is that they must have been crazy for tolerating all the dumb things I did over the years.”
One of the reasons he has worked so long is because there weren’t any doctors accepting patients. Now, he doesn’t have that excuse anymore, and that has made his retirement much easier.
Calhoun said several new doctors have recently come to Seymour, so the timing worked out just right for his patients, and the doctors have been very gracious in accepting them.
Along with his patients, he is melancholy that the little corner office that many people have come to since the late 1940s will no longer be in operation.
“I’ve been a solo practitioner the past 22 years. I’m the last of ‘em,” he said. “Looking back, I can honestly say the quality of health care in Seymour continues to improve. My friends tell me it will really improve when I retire.”