Val Quandt, 88, who practiced family medicine in Hartford for four decades, died at the Hartford Healthcare Center on Monday, March 29, 2010, after a long illness.

He was born Valerius Victor Quandt on May 13, 1921, in Watertown. He was known to his friends and family as Val, and in his later years, simply "Doc." He was the son of Erwin Quandt, a Watertown Lutheran minister, and his wife, Meta.

Dr. Quandt graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison undergraduate college in 1942 and medical school in 1945. He served in the U.S. Army as a doctor and captain after World War II before coming to Hartford to set a family medical practice in 1948, where he practiced until he retired in 1986. During this time he also served terms as the City Health Examiner and a certified Federal Aviation Administration examiner.

After retiring, he volunteered at the Hartford Heritage Auto Museum where he served as head archivist and docent for 15 years. While there he wrote a book on Hartford’s Kissel car, "The Classic Kissel Automobile" in 1990. In 1998, he was the editor of the book "Wisconsin Cars and Trucks: A Centenary."

Dr. Quandt married Faith Hurtig in 1946. They had three children and were lovingly married until her death in 2007.

Dr. Quandt lead a very active life, skiing, bicycling, running and even clearing 21 acres of wooded land to make it into a private picnic area/ retreat. For many years, he worked with a former lumberjack friend to clear the land and build a cabin, huge outdoor fireplace and rustic furniture. He had a wry sense of humor and was quoted in 1986 as saying "I think it’s comparable to Thoreau’s Walden Pond – without the pond." He also had a passion for listening to music, playing the harmonica, birdwatching, woodworking, looking at the stars, traveling, reading and taking long Sunday walks with his wife, Faith.

As a medical practitioner, Dr. Quandt was an early advocate of many now accepted medical trends, particularly the need for weight control, eliminating smoking, limiting alcohol consumption and regular strenuous exercise before they became fashionable. He was quoted as saying, "It’s very easy for a patient to take medicine, but what really needs to change is the patient’s lifestyle."

Dr. Quandt is survived by his brother, Dr. Raymond Quandt of Milwaukee; his sister, Victoria Lee of Hendersonville, N.C.; his three children, Peter (Diane) Quandt of Chappaqua, N.Y., Mark Quandt of Waukesha and Heidi (Dan) Rossiter of Madison; four grandchildren, Mark Quandt of New York City, Gillian Quandt of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Molly Rossiter of Madison and Chloe Quandt of Delafield; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his brother; Dr. Courtney Quandt, and his grandchild, Lauren Quandt.

Speaking for the family, Heidi Rossiter stated, "We would like to offer tremendous thanks to the many staff of the Hartford Healthcare Center and Dr. Chen who took tremendous and respectful care of Doc during his last years."

The family has announced that a memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 8, at the Berndt-Ledesma Funeral Home in Hartford. The gathering will begin at 3 p.m. and the service itself will start at 4 p.m., followed by a reception. All friends as well as family are invited.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Schauer Arts and Activities Center, 147 North Rural St., Hartford, WI, 53027.

The Berndt-Ledesma Funeral Home in Hartford is serving the family. www.berndt-ledesma.com.