Dr. Curtis Lars Hedberg

Dr. Curtis Lars Hedberg, age 62, of Bentonville, AR, passed away unexpectantly due to heart disease on Monday, June 3, 2024. He was born on May 11, 1962, in Kansas City, MO. He was a loving and dedicated son to his mother, Joan Van Loon Hedberg; his father, Jackie Hedberg and stepmother, Jeanette Hedberg. Dr. Hedberg is survived by his beloved children, Meredith Link and spouse, Morgan; Molly Martin and spouse, Spencer; Mary Michelle Summerlin and spouse, Samantha; Gene Raff, and spouse, Taylor. Curtis was lovingly known to his grandchildren as "Papa Doc." He was a proud grandfather to Arthur Raff, Collins Raff, Evelyn Raff, and Liam Link. Curtis cherished his relationship with nephew, Rodney Brown, his wife, Erica Brown and great niece, Cheyenne Brown. He was preceded in death by his beloved sister, Christina Hedberg. His family was the centerpiece of his life.
Curtis was a determined and accomplished young man. His parents received countless compliments over the years on what an outstanding individual he was. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He was active in his home church, Ascension Lutheran. Curtis was involved in student life at Raytown High School. He was a member of the swim team, the marching band and graduated with high honors. He pursued his undergraduate degree in Biology at Saint Louis University.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia Medical School followed by his residency at UAMS in Little Rock. In 1992, Dr. Hedberg began his medical career in Internal Medicine in Northwest Arkansas, where he co-founded the Springdale Diagnostic Clinic. He was an exceptional diagnostician. He was well known for his extraordinary bedside manner, his genuine care for others, and his commitment to action and service.
In 2001 after a decade of private practice, Dr. Hedberg sought to further his education once again. He completed a fellowship in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology at LSU Shreveport. Following completion of his fellowship, he returned to Northwest Arkansas and established Hedberg Allergy & Asthma Center. With tremendous vision, hard work and extreme passion for patient care, Dr. Hedberg and his fellow physicians have built an exceptional practice that now serves thousands of patients in Fayetteville, Rogers, and Joplin, MO. His loyal patient following has expressed much love and appreciation for Dr. Hedberg's intellect. Patients marveled at his ability to actively listen, diagnose, and treat difficult allergy and asthma conditions with his magic touch of compassion. Many credit him for giving them their lives back and particularly the children with life threatening allergies. His patient following no doubt valued his medical abilities and the dramatic results he delivered to families in Northwest Arkansas.
Dr. Hedberg was an amazing medical provider and business partner because he cared about all the right things. When in the exam room with the patients, he was not always the fastest and frequently his nurses would prod him along, but that is because he genuinely enjoyed the time he spent with each patient. He had the gift of truly listening. Dr. Hedberg was fun-loving. Not to be forgotten are his many practical jokes. His colleagues and staff may not miss the conveniently positioned rubber snakes or novelty stink bombs but will always remember his trademark grin and chuckle with his shenanigans. Despite this incredible loss, there will be gratitude for his life and his co-workers will continue to honor his work and legacy through Hedberg Allergy & Asthma. His medical footprint is broad and deep and will be missed.
Dr. Hedberg was a lifelong learner and teacher. He always worked hard to help his newly hired doctors build a successful practice and improve patient care. It was also important to him to help train the next generation of physicians. He loved to have medical students and residents shadow him. You could frequently find him with one or two students soaking in his medical knowledge and laughing at his jokes, but his all-time favorite student was his own daughter, Meredith, who is a registered dietitian. No one will ever be able to fill his shoes or his candy cane pants that he wore to the clinic Christmas parties each year!
Curtis enjoyed many hobbies including fishing, beekeeping, gardening, wine appreciation, photography, snorkeling, and travel. With his adventurous spirit, shortly after college, he embarked on a tour of Europe and Russia with other recent graduates. These new friends became the "Back of the Bus Gang". This experience launched Curtis's love of travel which continued over the next 40 years. He went on to visit wonderful destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Fiji, Turkey, the Arctic Circle and one of his fondest adventures being an Antarctica expedition! He savored experiencing the world with family and friends. He was active in Boy Scouts and was very proud his son, Gene, also achieved Eagle Scout status. Curtis was an avid animal lover, something he shared with his daughters, Molly and Mary Michelle. He even contemplated applying to veterinary school instead of medical school.
Curtis was wise, giving, authentic, devoted, cherished, fun, loyal, and intelligent without arrogance. He was a kind and compassionate man with a servant's heart. Beyond his esteemed medical career, Curtis was a man of faith. He was an active member of Central United Methodist Church in Rogers where he and former spouse, Michelle, raised their family. Curtis's faith was strong, and he is now at rest with his Lord and Savior.
A celebration of life service and visitation will be held on Saturday, June 15, at Central United Methodist Church, located at 2535 W. New Hope Road in Rogers, AR. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m., followed by the service at 2 p.m. Public is welcome.
The family would be pleased for donations to be made in his honor to support Food Allergy Research. Donate online at archildrens.org Click: Give, Arkansas Children's Foundation, Donate Now, dropdown box Food Allergy Research or mail to Arkansas Children's Foundation, 1 Children's Way, Slot 661, Little Rock, AR 72202.