Dr. Joseph R. Govi

1932 - 2015

Joseph R. Govi, M.D., 83, of Latrobe, passed away Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, in Brookdale Latrobe. He was born March 25, 1932, in Yukon, a son of the late Aldo and Jean (Davanzo) Govi. Dr. Govi grew up in Yukon, and as a Boy Scout, was the first Eagle Scout in South Huntingdon, Westmoreland County, and a member of the Order of the Arrow. He graduated from Mercersburg Academy, class of 1950, the University of Pennsylvania, class of 1954, where he participated in crew, played football and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, and Hahnemann Medical School, class of 1958. Upon completion of his residency in Johnstown, he entered the Air Force and served as a captain from 1959 to 1965. He served at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was the physician for the Air Force Academy football team from 1963 to 1965. He returned to Westmoreland County in 1965 and entered private practice with Dr. Robert Gordon (Gordon and Govi) in Unity Township until 1974. He was a family doctor, providing house calls and delivering numerous children in the surrounding area. Dr. Govi belonged to numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the Latrobe Academy of Medicine, the American Medical Association and the Westmoreland County Medical Society. He advanced to the rank of associate professor of family medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and he was also elected president of the Latrobe Area Hospital Medical Staff. He was primarily responsible for the establishment of the Latrobe Area Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. He guided this program as program director for more than 20 years. During that time, more than 100 residents passed through the program and now serve in Westmoreland County and in other areas of the country. Dr. Govi participated in publishing medical literature regarding pediatric cardiology, stress testing, workshops for AAFP for program directors and a review on internal medicine. He maintained his certification to provide flight physicals to local pilots after his time in the Air Force. He provided physician services to Latrobe Steel employees for many years. He was a certified geriatric care physician. After retiring from Latrobe Hospital in 1996, he continued to work part-time at the Norvelt Family Practice, seeing patients until his final retirement in 2003. He was a member St. Vincent Basilica Parish in Latrobe, where he attended Mass daily and was also a member of the Latrobe Ski Association. Joe loved spending time with his grandchildren and family. He organized 13 consecutive "guy" family fishing trips to French River, Canada. He was an avid hunter and enjoyed time spent with family in Dubois and New Florence hunting camps. He enjoyed running, biking and skiing. He was also an avid sailor. He loved camping, boating and spending time with his family at their lake home in Deep Creek, Md. Joe loved music and enjoyed playing the trumpet and baritone in high school and with local fellow physicians and dentists in a band called Dysrhythmia. Joe and Nancy traveled the United States extensively, enjoying many national parks and beaches and made numerous trips to Europe. The Govi family would like to thank the nurses, caregivers and staff at the Brookdale Latrobe Assisted Living Facility for the outstanding care provided to Joe during the past several months. Special thanks and appreciation is also extended to Heartland Hospice and its staff for their caring support, expert guidance and compassion shown during Joe's illness. In addition, words cannot express the family's heartfelt gratitude to Joe's loving caregiver, Reenie Beard, for her untiring devotion in helping to keep Joe comfortable during his stay at Brookdale. Reenie, you were a true blessing and will always hold a special place in our hearts. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Nancy Govi Huber. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Nancy (Greene) Govi; children, Joseph Richie "Rich" Govi and his wife, Erin, of Jeannette, Elizabeth "Beth" Govi Lively and her husband, Willie, of Charleston, W.Va., and John Govi and his wife, Victoria, of Flagstaff, Ariz.; four grandchildren, John William Lively, of Atlanta, Ga., Dillon Joseph Lively, of Charlotte, N.C., and twins, Joseph Michael Govi, of Jeannette, and Laura Elizabeth Govi, of Pittsburgh; and a brother, A. Rich Govi and his wife, Dorothy, of Youngwood.
Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the HARTMAN-GRAZIANO FUNERAL HOME INC., 1500 Ligonier St., Latrobe. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Thursday in St. Vincent Basilica. Everyone please go directly to the church. Private interment will be in Unity Cemetery, Unity Township.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation, One Mellon Way, Latrobe, PA 15650; or to the St. Vincent Seminary, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650. To post an online condolence, please visit www.hartman-grazianofuneralhome.com.