Frank Joseph Hildner, MD

Introduction

Frank Hildner passed away peacefully on January 26, 2025 at home in Ocala, FL with his wife Christine and first-born, Karen, at his side (as well as Annie, his devoted Terrier, snuggled alongside him).

Frank was born in October of 1934 in Chicago, IL to Anna and Joseph Hildner, German immigrants, who met each other on the voyage and later became American Citizens. He grew up in Chicago where he attended Loyola Academy, then Loyola University, and finally the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. He had also lived in Grand Rapids, MI; San Carlos, AZ; Detroit, MI; Miami Shores, FL; and finally in Ocala, FL.

He is survived by Christine, his wife of 67 years, his three living children Karen, Joseph, and Gretchen; his six grandchildren Louise, Kimberly, Jenna, Jackson, Laurel, and Rebecca; and three great-grandchildren Lars, Louisa, and Anita.

Personal Character, Virtues, and Notable Traits

- Man of Faith. His very life was animated on a daily basis by his convictions and his spirituality.

- Integrity. Frank was Trustworthy in word and deed; genuine in all he said or did; and driven by an understated moral courage.

- Committed. His faithfulness went beyond spirituality, evidenced daily in the consistent and reliable devotion he brought to his marriage, his patients, and virtually all persons or pursuits to which he dedicated himself. He derived deep fulfillment from being of service.

- Hospitable. He took great delight in enabling family or friends to enjoy themselves however able, whether it was cooking up something on the grill or aboard his boat on the waters of South Florida. He just wanted others to be happy, and to do what he could to catalyze that.

- Affable. He "never met a stranger"-and struck up lighthearted conversation readily and easily. He seemed always to have a big hello for (and from!) anyone he'd ever met.

- Generous. If he learned of an important need within his sphere of influence, he figured out how he might be able to help. He enthusiastically gave of his time, talent, and treasure exceptionally consistently, humbly and quietly.

- Open, Accepting, and Inclusive. A model for us all.

- Love of Family. He treasured the relationships nurtured at regular family reunions, and seemed to emit joy-beams when surrounded by his children and theirs. Took pleasure in serving Kiddie Cocktails to the young ones as the adults enjoyed the other kind, prompting one to ask "Why does Grammy always have olives in her water?"

- Care of Family. His commitment to the care of both of his parents was inspiring. And, he "put his money where his heart is" creating educational Trust Funds for each child and grandchild as they came along.

- Adventurous. How many physicians choose a (very) remote Apache Reservation in the Arizona desert as one's first practice site?

- Self-Reliant. The ultimate Do-It-Yourselfer, whether household maintenance, motor vehicle repair, or watercraft.

- Frugal. Always lived well-within his means.

- Hard-Working. Whether being physician-on-call for cardiac emergencies at Mt. Sinai, President of his HomeOwners' Association, or organizing and teaching a college level course at the high school he founded, Frank was exceptionally industrious, and delivered whatever was demanded.

Hobbies and Interests

- Dog lover. Sobbed for days upon the passing of Buckwheat, his gregarious golden.

- Boat Lover-and all that goes with it (snorkeling, scuba diving, water-skiing, tubing, fishing, or simply a sunset cruise at cocktail hour). Even captained his own boat across the open ocean to the Bahamas by "dead-reckoning" (charts and a compass) long before GPS.

- Patron of the Arts. Held season tickets to whatever Performing Arts venues were local. Collected fine art works, and eventually donated many to the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, FL.

- Audiophile. An early-adopter, he built rudimentary tape-recording equipment from "heath-kits" in the early days of "Hi-Fi Stereo."

- Music-Lover. Enya, Dixieland, Big Band, Jimmy Buffet. Played accordion in a Polka Band!

- Miami Dolphins. Had the same season-tickets in the Orange Bowl for many years. Particularly pleased with his seat-assignment, he shared often: "They're on the 48 hard-line, UNDER the press-box (shade on hot days, and dry on rainy days

- Travel. Camping trips around the U.S.. Completely planned and organized a SIX WEEK Family Camping trip across Western Europe in a VW minivan. China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Israel, Pakistan, and most recently a cruise down the Rhine visiting Christmas Markets.

- Geneology. Invested years of his life investigating his Family Tree, visiting church records in Germany, sometimes even taking etchings of gravestones.

- He could fly! At some point, he decided it was time learn to pilot an airplane! Diligently attended weeks of "ground school," followed by many hours with his flight instructor, culminating with the final exam: Three Solo Take-off's and Landings. Once he passed that test, he walked away-and never flew again. Challenge met.

- Single Malt Scotch. He didn't buy a bottle often, but when he did, it was the good stuff!

Professional High-Points and Accomplishments

- With only a single year internship after medical school, for his first clinical "deployment" he and Christine (with infant Karen) chose to serve the Apache people, delivering comprehensive Primary Care services. Of course, the family lived on the Reservation, a very remote location in the Arizona desert, where they were loved and greatly appreciated.

- When he entered the medical field in the 1950's, the idea of somehow steering a wire from a patient's leg directly into the heart (much less into a tiny coronary artery the size of a pencil-lead!) was unheard of. Over time, the name Frank J. Hildner, MD became well-known-even internationally-as a pioneer in the field. He actually enjoyed a personal relationship with F. Mason Sones, MD, who is universally regarded as something of a Thomas Edison figure in the realm of coronary angiography.

- Much of the international adventure he and Christine were so fortunate to enjoy was specifically because he had been invited to give presentations to cardiologists around the world, helping them get up to speed with cutting-edge knowledge and make their own contributions to the field. In fact, much of the research those cardiologists performed ended up published in the medical journal which Frank literally founded and for which he served as Editor-in-Chief for a quarter century.

Perhaps one of Frank's proudest professional accolades was the establishment of the Annual Frank J. Hildner Lecture, a presentation given annually into perpetuity: "This lecture is named in honor of Frank J. Hildner, MD, FSCAI, who was one of the original founders of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Intervention, a past president, an elected Trustee for Life, and the founder of SCAI's journal, "Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions" (CCI). The Hildner Lecture is established to recognize his contributions to the field by highlighting significant innovations in interventional cardiology during SCAI's scientific sessions."

- Dr. Hildner served as Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach for over a quarter century, then continued to practice in both hospital systems in Ocala, FL.

- He even wrote a book! "Behind the Lead Apron," filled with his most memorable experiences in patient-care and Cath Lab hijinx.

Stewardship and Service

- An actively practicing Catholic throughout his life, Frank was invariably very involved in his local church community. Even as a young husband and new father at the dawn of his professional career in Detroit, he instigated the formation of a committee which enabled fellow parishioners to align their talents or volunteer interests with needs of the church community.

- During his ~25 years in Miami, he found countless ways to give of himself to the St. Rose of Lima church community. Highlights include his work as a Lector which included training and scheduling all fellow lectors; serving as President of the Parish Council, organizing and delivering a keynote address on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the parish & school (interestingly, at the same time that his mother Anna was chair of the Sacred Heart Sodality and his wife Christine was President of the Mothers' Club!).

- He enjoyed his work with the parish Boy Scout troop accompanying the boys on campouts and sitting with scouts earning their First Aid merit badge.

- Of course, similar activities continued upon moving to Ocala in 1992, again serving on the Parish Council, Stewardship Committee, and a series of Fundraising campaigns. Every Friday @ 4:00, he and Christine could be found in the Perpetual Adoration chapel, where church members have been praying continuously (24/7) for over a decade.

- Passionate about education, he and Christine were instrumental as Founders of Trinity Catholic High School. The TCHS Science Lab is named in their honor.

- In fact, besides playing a key role in literally bringing the school into existence, he co-created a college-level course in Anatomy and Physiology. In addition to administering the course, he was the instructor for the Cardiology section, and organized/scheduled multiple physician colleagues to teach the sections within their own disciplines. How many high school students have taken a course taught exclusively by DOCTORS! Many graduates of the course returned from college to report that this specific course had been the single most beneficial preparation for studying and learning in college.

- To his children's and grandchildren's chagrin, he taught Sex Education at any junior high school with which he was ever associated.

- The Ocala Royal Dames bequeathed upon him the honor of Royal Knight in honor of his having instituted the protocol by which the organization awarded funds in support of cancer research.

- Frank served on the board and even as president of his Homeowners' Association in Ocala and Condominium Association in Key Largo.

- Since he did so discretely, it is impossible to know how many friends and family he has assisted privately, often with interest-free educational loans or similar assistance.

Closing

Clarence Darrow is credited with saying "The man who is really dead is he who has no influence upon those who live."

If Mr. Darrow's quotation is at all accurate, it would appear that Frank J. Hildner has already achieved everlasting life.

Donations

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Frank Hildner are gratefully invited to make a donation to Trinity Catholic High School: https://www.trinitycatholichs.org