Dr. Janice F. Gable, 70, formerly of Konnarock, VA, passed away January 22, 2016, at her home in Westville, NJ.
Janice was born in Port Hueneme, CA, and grew up in Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. After undergraduate study at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, she received her M.D. from Indiana University at Indianapolis, and interned at Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL.
In 1971 Dr. Gable came to Konnarock in southwestern Virginia with her husband Rev. William Gable and established a solo rural family practice. Her 34 years of service to that community were exemplary. She had a patient load of about 5,000 people, and was available 24 hours a day. Working closely with the very committed Mt. Rogers Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, she conducted training sessions and served as medical director. Her office staff and area home nurses, also very devoted to good health care, always served with highest distinction and dedication. In this region, where hospitals and specialists are sometimes too distant when needed, Dr. Gable and her team did it all—from births and deaths to minor surgeries and emergencies of all kinds. And, yes, she even made house calls in her four-wheel drive.
“Dr. Jan,” as she was known, was also certified in geriatric medicine and in 2005 she accepted a position at a geriatric continuing care facility in Alexandria, VA. She retired to Westville, NJ, in 2013.
Jan delighted in many leisure activities, including piano playing, fine craftwork, and stimulating reading—but above all she enjoyed a lifelong love of gardening.
Jan is survived by sons Matthew Gable and Claude Gable, father James E. Fox, sisters Joyce Fox and Jean Fox, niece Beverly Richardson, and nephews Jacob Richardson, James Richardson, and Cole Fox. She is preceded in death by her mother, June Rommel Fox, and her sister, Judith Somer Fox.
Private family services will be held in Florida at a later date. Memorial donations can be made at cancer.org or to your favorite charity in her name.
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Leave a tributeRemonia & Becky
love n miss you dr. gable
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I once visited Dr. Jan in Konnarock in 1976. I had been her classmate at Indiana University School of Medicine where she was outstanding in every way. She was exceptionally nice, caring and thoughtful.And a top student! At Konnarock she filled a great need. She was the only medical and health care there, but she could do it! (She could do anything) She did just one year of training after medical school. Today no one is allowed to do less than three. She went to Konnarock. That took great confidence and courage. She told us of how she wanted her husband to deliver her baby. This was, of course, not permitted at the area hospitals. Konnarock was definitely not the place to be if there were unexpected complications of a home delivery. So they went to a city where she had been getting prenatal care and checked into a motel. And what a "surprise." The baby came suddenly and Bill had to do the delivery as she had coached him. They then went to the hospital for postpartum and newborn care. I believe it was their first child. Everything went well, of course. Few motels have had planned unplanned baby deliveries.