Dr. Iam Peter Bhisitkul

Iam P. Bhisitkul, MD 1929-2019 Iam Peter Bhisitkul, MD, passed away on July 3, 2019 at the age of 90. He died peacefully at home in Lakeland, Florida, surrounded by his family – his wife, Catherine, and their four children, as well as their grandchildren. Dr. Bhisitkul had a long career as a urologist, practicing for 32 years in Niles, Michigan. He retired in 1999, and he and Cathy moved to Florida, to be next door to their daughter, and to help to raise her three children. Iam was born and raised in Thailand. Though the family was poor, education was emphasized, and he went on to attend the prestigious Chulalongkorn University Medical School in the capital city, Bangkok. After graduating first in his medical school class, he immigrated to the United States to continue his training at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and went on to complete his urology residency at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia and his fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. While at Sinai Hospital, Iam met a young nursing student named Cathy Murchake, and they would go on to be married once he completed his medical training. Iam soon enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned as a doctor at the Army base in Fort Hood, Texas. During the Vietnam War, he was posted to the base of the 809th Engineer Battalion in Thailand. After completing his Army career at the rank of Major, he and Cathy moved to Niles, Michigan, where he began his private urology practice, with Cathy as his nurse and business manager. He and Cathy lived in Niles for more than three decades, raising their four children. Iam worked hard and enjoyed every day. He was fond of golf, gardening, sports cars, and cooking Thai food. He was an avid investor. In Lakeland, he walked Lake Hollingsworth with his buddies each morning. His marriage to Cathy was the center of his life for 58 years. When the grandkids began to arrive, he and Cathy devoted themselves to being super-grandparents. All the grandchildren truly love their “Poppy” and “Gram.” He is survived by Cathy and his children: Robert and his wife Sara and their children, Iam, Lucie, and Jonah; Donna and her husband Bret Henricks, MD, and their children, Andrea, Aaron, and Anna; John and his daughter, Alexandra; and Thomas and his wife Jackie and their children, Amelia, Gemma, Sonia, and Alexa. Iam had a long and full life. He said it was more than he could have dreamed as a peasant boy in Thailand, and often expressed his gratitude for the opportunities America gave him. The memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 6, 2019 at Heath Funeral Chapel, 328 S. Ingraham Avenue, Lakeland, Florida 33801. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Bonnet Springs Park, bonnetsprings.com/donate, 415 South Kentucky Avenue, Lakeland, FL, 33801.