Dr. John Blake Hiebert

Dr. John Blake Hiebert, 85, a distinguished physician and pioneering cardiologist whose innovative work helped shape cardiovascular care in northeast Kansas, died on January 5 in Lawrence, Kansas. Born March 3, 1940, in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was the son of Dr. Homer Leonard Hiebert and Grace Elizabeth Blake Hiebert.

John grew up in Topeka, Kansas, in a large, close-knit family on Randolph Street. As a youth, he was active in the Boy Scouts of America and the United Methodist Church Sunday school. A gifted student, John won the State Science Fair as a senior and was a National Science Fair Finalist, which earned him a trip to Disneyland and a memorable meeting with Walt Disney. John participated in sports in junior and senior high school and spent his summers attending camps in Colorado and Minnesota and summer math programs at the University of Kansas.

After graduating from Topeka High School in 1958, John attended the University of Kansas, where he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon and met his future wife, Nancy Joan Bramley. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics in 1963 and went on to the University of Kansas School of Medicine, receiving his Doctor of Medicine in 1968. He completed his internship and residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City and became board certified in Medicine and Surgery in 1973.

Dr. Hiebert began his medical career as a clinical cardiologist in Topeka, where he, along with other cardiologists and surgeons, initiated the first open-heart surgery program in 1975. He became the first cardiologist in the region to perform an angioplasty procedure at Stormont-Vail Hospital in 1977, marking a significant milestone in cardiac care.

Dr. Hiebert was a pioneer as the first and lone practicing cardiologist in Lawrence in 1986, when he moved from Topeka and opened Preventive Cardiology, P.A., alongside his wife, Nancy, who served as the Chief Operating Officer. Patients followed him from Topeka and across northeast Kansas for his expert cardiovascular care. Dr. Hiebert had an innovative mind, developing a novel patient information system for his practice, which was a precursor to patient record systems that exist today. The efficiency of it allowed him more quality time with patients. He successfully advocated for and helped establish a cardiac catheterization lab at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, including a state-of-the-art digital cardiac imaging system in 1990, along with a cardiac rehabilitation program. Over time, as local demand for cardiovascular services grew, he recruited additional cardiologists, eventually selling his practice to Cardiovascular Consultants of Kansas City, where he continued practicing. Throughout his career, he was always delighted in seeing and hearing from numerous former patients (or their relatives) whose lives had been extended from the care he had provided.

Dr. Hiebert was honored to be appointed to the Kansas Board of Regents by Governor Joan Finney in 1993, serving as Chairman in 1996. He was lauded for his leadership during the “Crumbling Classroom” initiative at the University of Kansas and for his role in restoring the KU Medical Center Heart Institute’s heart transplant program after a period of difficulty.

John and his wife, Nancy, were generous supporters of numerous organizations throughout Lawrence and the state, and he served on many local governmental, academic, and civic boards and committees. As a committed community leader, Dr. Hiebert was a vocal advocate for public health, including efforts that led to Lawrence’s Downtown smoking ordinance in 2004, which restricted smoking in enclosed public spaces.

Being a strong advocate for education, John also served as an assistant clinical professor at the KU Medical Center and as a clinical instructor in the KU HPER Department. Even after a late retirement, renowned for his work in heart failure, he contributed to medical research, at the University of Kansas Medical Center, co-authoring numerous scholarly publications cited world-wide. His research on supplements and patient quality of life bridged a gap between laboratory discovery and clinical care. In addition to his research work, Dr. Hiebert continued educating and inspiring future medical professionals, serving as an adjunct professor in the School of Nursing.

In his personal life, John and Nancy cherished travel, especially autumn visits to Maine and Vermont. He delighted in gourmet cooking, classical music, poetry, KU basketball, attending his grandchildren’s events, and taking walks in the country with the family dogs. His grandchildren fondly remember their Papa’s quick wit, and beloved Christmas morning brunches, as well as special December outings to The Plaza and to see The Nutcracker. The family recalls his unyielding optimism and his philosophy that the best time in life is the current day. John was especially interested in and supportive of his children’s and grandchildren’s academic pursuits.

John was a devoted husband to his wife, Nancy, to whom he had been married 63 years. She survives him. He is also survived by his son, Eric Hiebert and wife Cynthia, of Lawrence; his daughter, Rebecca Hiebert, of Omaha, Nebraska; his grandchildren, Natalie Hiebert Vaughn (Collin) of Lawrence, Katherine Hiebert of Lawrence, Mallory Hiebert Unruh (Jacob) of Lawrence, and Brynn Ludwick of Omaha; two great-grandchildren, Michael and Laney Unruh; and his siblings Grace “Mimi” Beam of Oshkosh, WI, Sue Wester of Minneapolis, MN, Henry Hiebert of Topeka, KS, and David Hiebert (Joyce) of Palatine, IL. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Sara Hiebert, and several beloved pets.

A celebration of life in the spring is being planned by the family. Dr. Hiebert will be inurned in Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka, KS. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Operation Wildlife; KU School of Music; or Douglas County Visiting Nurses, in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary.