Dr. John Hugo Ansohn

John Ansohn was born on November 3, 1949 in Houston, Texas as the only child of parents John and Ruth (Fowle) Ansohn. After the tragic passing of his father when John was a baby, John was raised by Ruth, a hardworking and reverent single mother. John shared that his mother was always proud of his achievements, including graduating medical school and being commissioned to the rank of Captain in the Medical Corps before her passing in 1987.

John spent his childhood near Galveston in Seabrook, Texas and graduated from Clear Creek High School in 1968. In 1969, John entered the U.S. Navy and became a Hospital Corpsman, achieving the rank of E-5 by 1973 and earning a National Defense Service Medal. John then began his higher education journey, first attending the Baylor College of Medicine and graduating in 1975 with a B.S. in their Physician Assistant Program, notably as part of the third ever class within this program.

John then attended the University of Houston at Clear Lake and obtained his Master’s in Neuropharmacology and Clinical Psychology in 1980. After more than a decade of dedicated study, John moved his family to Fort Worth, Texas to attend the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM), now known as the University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health. John graduated Cum Laude and achieved his highest level of education, becoming Dr. Ansohn in 1985.

In 1981, John joined the U.S. Army 90th RRC and eventually became the Command Surgeon with the rank of Colonel 0-6, taking care of over 22,000 U.S. Army Reserve troops across 5 states. John was on active duty in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Gulf War, from 1990 to 1991. Upon his retirement from the Army after 26 years of service, in addition to numerous other service recognitions received, Dr. Ansohn was awarded the Legion of Merit which is the highest Medal of Valor not associated with active combat.

Dr. Ansohn’s career as a physician, predominantly in emergency medicine, spanned nearly four decades. He initially practiced as a Family Physician in Southlake, Texas beginning in 1986, where he grew his family practice, Southlake Medical Clinic, along with his partner Dr. Michael Huber. Dr. Ansohn became a staple amongst the Southlake and Grapevine school districts as the high school football teams’ Doctor, as he treated athletes on the sidelines of games and administered the teams’ regular physicals. Dr. Ansohn led the Southlake Medical Clinic family practice for 10 years as Medical Director Owner.

In 1988, in addition to running his family practice, Dr. Ansohn was elected the EMS Medical Director for Baylor Regional Medical Center in Grapevine, Texas. As EMS Medical Director, Dr. Ansohn provided oversight for over two dozen cities in North Tarrant and Denton counties. Dr. Ansohn additionally began practicing as a full-time Emergency Medicine Physician for Baylor beginning in 1997, alongside his role as EMS Medical Director. Dr. Ansohn served Baylor Regional Medical Center for 23 years, until 2011.

Dr. Ansohn also volunteered his time for numerous cities’ Fire Departments in north Texas from 1989 to 1999 as the Emergency Department Medical Director Representative and EMS Medical Director Representative on the board of the North Texas Regional Advisory Council (NTRAC).

Dr. Ansohn was self-employed from 2011 until 2020 under his business, Ansohn Group. Dr. Ansohn continued his emergency physician role as he served patients at the SurePoint Emergency Center and for the Concord Medical Group in his final years. His family notes with grim and loving humor that Dr. Ansohn wouldn’t have known what to do with his spare time if he had found himself in retirement.

Dr. Ansohn was well-known in the medical community of north Texas as a leader, healer, advocate, mentor, colleague, and friend. He saved countless lives throughout his career and was unfailingly dedicated to his calling. In a quote from Dr. Ansohn’s LinkedIn, his “whole purpose in life [was] to help others”. His passion, motivation, and intellectual curiosity helped his career to flourish and his “only objective” was to “provide and mentor quality and passionate patient care”. His services and patient relations were recognized as he advanced in his career - Dr. Ansohn received the prestigious 7th Platinum Star Award from Baylor Medical Center at Grapevine, was named the “Health Hero of the Year” in 2003 by the Fort Worth Business Press, and received the “EMS Medical Director of the Year” award in 2005 from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

When Dr. Ansohn was not in a medical setting, he could be found amongst family and friends, hunting or fishing, and generally enjoying his home on Eagle Mountain Lake and land near Stephenville. He loved taking yearly trips to Galveston with his family, as well as traveling around the world through his military career and later with his wife, Lori. Friends called him “one of a kind” and a “real Texan” with endless fortitude and tenacity in everything he set out to do.

With his passing, John’s loved ones take comfort that he will be reunited with his mother and finally able to meet his father. He will be dearly missed by family and friends, and the thousands of lives he touched in his medical career.

John is survived by his wife, Lori; his children and their families, John, Gena (Joe), Travis (Crystal), Christopher, Rhea Anne (Colby), James, and Katelyn (Jairus); eight grandchildren and their families, Breanna (Andy), Baylee (Stephen), Kiernan, Travis, James, Nicholas, Sonara, and Remi; one great grandchild, Rowan; aunt and uncle James and Dianne Ansohn; mother-in-law Bettye Ellis; brother-in-law Wyatt Woods; and sister-in-law D’Ann (Doug) Allen. He was preceded in death by his parents, three aunts, and four uncles.

Visitation for Dr. John Ansohn will be held Sunday, July 23, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home, 5725 Colleyville Blvd; Colleyville, TX 76034. Funeral service will be Monday, July 24, 2023 at 2:00 PM, Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home. Interment will be Friday, August 11, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, TX 75211.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bluebonnethills.com for the Ansohn family.