Dr. Joseph Idicula

He joined the Indian Navy at the age of 18, enrolling at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, India where he met his wife Dr. Agnes Joseph Idicula as well as lifelong friends in the AFMC community. He loved being in naval uniform. After graduating from medical school, he served as a physician in the Indian Navy for 17 years, pursuing his love of clinical medicine and scientific research. As part of a scientific exchange program with the US government, he made seminal contributions to the field of hyperbaric medicine in the early 1970s while conducting research with Dr. Christian Lambertsen at University of Pennsylvania. He was awarded the Visisht Seva Medal of honor by the President of India for his distinguished service in the Indian Navy.

Joe, Agnes, and their children Anita and Anjolie moved to the United States in 1984 to pursue new opportunities for their family, and at this time Joe embarked upon a long and fulfilling career in interventional cardiology. He was known for his brilliant mind, analytical thinking, and ability to quote detailed information from massive medical textbooks, and especially for his commitment to serving his patients and mentoring junior physicians.

Joe and Agnes moved to Spring Hill, Florida in 1991. Together, they established the Good Shepherd Heart Institute in 1994 and created a dedicated team of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and administrative staff that has served the surrounding community for more than 30 years. He played a major role in the development and expansion of all interventional and diagnostic cardiac services throughout Hernando county. He continued to care for patients until the final year of his life.

Joe was a passionate and talented chef and enjoyed preparing dishes from all over the world, particularly French, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. There was no one who could master the grill like him. He thoroughly enjoyed hosting large dinner gatherings for family and friends, a tradition he enthusiastically continued even while receiving chemotherapy following his diagnosis of cancer.

Joe was an avid fisherman and was happiest fishing the Kenai River or the ocean waters off the coast of Homer, Alaska, with Agnes. He was indefatigable, casting day and night until he caught both his and Agnes’ allotment of fish for the day. After the catch, he fastidiously cleaned and processed the fish before shipping it off to friends and family everywhere. To this day, the coolers he used to send fish are scattered throughout the world.

Joe treasured relationships and spared no effort to see friends and family both near and across the globe. He most recently traveled to India to celebrate Christmas 2023 with more than 200 members of his extended family in Kootical, Agnes’ ancestral home and was grateful to stay in his own renovated ancestral home in Thalavady, India. He was especially devoted to his immediate family. He adored his seven grandchildren and was never too busy to answer their phone calls or prepare and deliver their favorite meals brought to Boston in those famous coolers.

Joe lived a full life bursting with spontaneity and adventure. He was eternally optimistic, even to his final days. He held onto the truth that the Lord was His Shepherd, and so we now hand him over to the Lord’s care into eternity.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents K.V Idicula and Annamma Koshy, siblings George, Elizabeth, Koshy, Sarah, Ammu, Alexander, and Molamma. He is survived by his wife Agnes, his brother Thomas (Rachel), his sister Mrs Sosa Mathews, his brother in law Dr. E.T Mathew, his sister -in-law Dr. Anne Idiculla, his daughter Anita Erler (Dan), daughter Anjolie Laubach (Jacob), and grandchildren Elizabeth, Andrew, Katherine, Isabella, Madeleine, Genevieve, and Alexander.

We are forever grateful to Dr. Thomas Tang and his team at Florida Cancer Specialists, to Dr. Michael Harris at AdventHealth Gastroenterology, as well as the many medical providers at Brooksville, AdventHealth, and Oak Hill Hospitals who provided such compassionate care to him in the last weeks of his life.

A service honoring Joe’s life will take place on Saturday February 24th at 2 pm, preceded by visiting hours from 10 am - 2 pm, at Turner Funeral Home, 14360 Spring Hill Dr, Spring Hill, FL 34609.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Joe’s name to the non profit organization Peer Servants. This organization, that we as a family love, partners in 10 countries across the globe including India to serve the materially poor through microfinance, education, healthcare, and food and water security. Donations should be made to Peer Servants at https://www.peerservants.org/ You may designate what country or program you would like your funds directed to.

The Service will be live streamed through Youtube at the link following:

Here is the link -

https://www.youtube.com/live/6DLknLfTrXQ?si=IwZjzJDqRFKDinH7