John Hunt Doak

1941 - 2025

Brilliant, funny, loving, outgoing, adventurous, affectionate, curious, talented, generous, and adored. It's hard to sum up all that this larger-than-life man meant to everyone lucky enough to cross his path, but those are the words most commonly heard describing him. John Hunt Doak, "the smartest guy in the room" and "a good man with a life well lived," recently passed away at 83 from complications caused by a stroke.

He grew up in Shelbyville, KY, enjoying an idyllic small-town childhood he often spoke about fondly. He left Shelbyville to attend high school at Phillips Academy Andover (class of 1960) and earned his B.A. at Harvard University (class of 1964).

In August 1964, he married Ann Denise Connor, whom he met at a dance at Ann's alma mater, Wheelock College (also in Boston); they were devoted to each other for 55 years and went on to have two children and five grandchildren. Their life together was rich with love, laughter, and adventure. He was devasted when she passed away suddenly in 2017 at the age of 74.

He later met Linda Watts, who became his companion. He moved to Shreveport, LA, where Linda and his sister, Ruth, also lived. He spent his final years enjoying a return to Southern life with them and their extended families.

Career Highlights and Accomplishments:

Doak began his career at Black & Decker and then transferred to Japan to oversee the new Tokyo office.

After returning to Baltimore, he became the Chief Financial Officer at Easco Tools and was instrumental in a leveraged buyout that sold the company to Danaher Corporation. Shortly after, at age 48, he retired from corporate life and started a consulting business with Raytheon Corporation, a notable client.

This venture led to a groundbreaking second act. In his garage, he designed the Doak Table™, an innovative ambulatory surgical table for special forces military use, named in honor of his father, a former Army flight surgeon. This invention has transformed battlefield medicine, earning recognition from military officials and a commendation from the Surgeon General of the United States. One Doak Table is always aboard Air Force One.

As demand grew, he sold the rights to Morzine Medical, which continues to enhance and expand the sales of this life-saving creation globally.

Hobbies and passions:

He was an avid car and motorcycle enthusiast who collected foreign automobiles and motorcycles. As a self-taught master mechanic, he often tinkered with his prized acquisitions; for instance, he once installed a Corvette engine into a vintage Jaguar, ensuring everyone could hear him coming from a mile away. His extensive library included car books and magazines, with issues dating back to the 1970s.

He loved road trips, whether solo cross-country rides on his motorcycles or car journeys.

Towards the end of his life, he developed a passion for model trains, transforming his attic office into an electric train wonderland that enchanted his grandchildren.

Above all, he cherished his family and friends. He planned annual road trips to visit his children, grandchildren, siblings, and childhood friends across the country. When he wasn't traveling, he communicated through prolific emails and texts and held monthly Zoom calls with his three best friends from Harvard until his passing.

His love for his family and keen interest in history inspired him to write and self-publish a comprehensive history of his ancestors in America, tracing their arrival from Scotland in 1740. Dad dedicated a year to researching prominent figures such as Samuel Doak, a Presbyterian minister whose famous sermon motivated soldiers before the 1780 Battle of Kings Mountain, leading to a decisive victory in the American Revolutionary War; Isaac Shelby, the first governor of Kentucky; and Ephraim McDowell, a founding father of abdominal surgery, whose statue is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ann Connor Doak, father, Dr. Alfred Deaderick Doak, and mother, Evelyn Cowan Doak.

He is survived by his daughter Stefanie Doak Frank, son Brian Connor Doak, brother Thomas Doak, sisters Day Ann Emory and Ruth Drummond, grandsons Wyley Frank and Connor Doak, and granddaughters Adeline Frank, Phoebe Frank and Acey Doak.

A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Redeemer on Friday, January 31, at 11 am, followed by a reception for friends and family in the church's Parish Hall.