Jose 'Dr. Joe' Vieira

Jose "Dr. Joe" Vieira, 93, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 29, 2016, surrounded by his family.

He was born in Divisa Nova, MG, Brasil, on March 21, 1923.

Dr. Joe attended medical school in Rio de Janiero, came to the USA in 1949 to do his internship in West Virginia, followed by his residency at Methodist Hospital in Peoria, Ill., where he met Doris Conley, of Princeton, Ill, an operating room nurse.

The two married on Nov. 28, 1951 and returned to Pocos de Caldas, MG, Brasil, where they ran a medical practice until returning to the United States in July 1964 to open a clinic in Coatesville, Ind., to continue his work in obstetrics/gynecology until his retirement in 1990.

Dr. Joe was also on staff at the Community Hospital of Indianapolis for many years as well as Putnam County Hospital in Greencastle.

While practicing in Pocos de Caldas, Dr. Joe never turned away a patient when they couldn't afford to pay their medical bills. Many of his clients were farmers which sometimes made their backyard look like Noah's Arc with all the different animals farmers would pay with, rather than money.

Dr. Joe was preceded in death by his father, Dr. Romeu Vieira of Alfenas, MG, Brasil; his mother, Maria Brasilina Teixeira of Alfenas, MG, Brasil; his brother, Rubens Vieira of Pocos de Caldas, MG, Brasil; his sister, Dr. Ruth Vieira of Pocos de Caldas, MG, Brasil; and a great-grandson, Tayte Curtis Ritchie of LeClaire, Iowa.

After retiring to Greenwood, Dr. Joe would sit at the kitchen table eating breakfast and watching the squirrels (which he called little monkeys) jumping from tree to tree in the backyard. He befriended one in particular that used to sit at the window watching him eat and one day attempted feeding the "little monkey" toast. After three weeks, he finally ate from Dr. Joe's hand. Needless to say, that became one "fat little monkey."

He was survived by his wife of nearly 65 years, Doris, of Avon; his children, Kim (Jenny Vieira) Vieira of Hamilton, Ohio, Deborah (Dr. Nicholas O'Neil) of West Lafayette, Elizabeth (Dr. David Lukens) Lukens, of Indianapolis; and Jose (Mary Jane Vieira) Vieira Jr., of Coatesville; 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Private family services are pending.