Dr. Jonathan Lee Fudge

Dr. Jonathan Lee Fudge, 59, of Newton, Iowa, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2020, surrounded by his family after a courageous 17-month battle against an aggressive adenocarcinoma.

Jon was born in Iowa City, Iowa on March 2, 1961.  He lived briefly in Iowa City, Atlantic, Newton and Cedar Rapids before his family resettled in Newton in 1968.  He attended Newton schools and graduated from Newton Senior High School in 1979. Jon participated in band, choir and played basketball.  Standing at 6’8”, Jon loved to dunk the basketball, and gained notoriety by shattering the glass backboard with a two-handed dunk before a school dance.  Jon was an Eagle Scout, and his father, Cliff, was scoutmaster for his troop for many years. Jon met the love of his life, Mary Kathleen Murphy (Murph), in 9th grade Latin class at Central Junior High.  They were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newton on July 28, 1984.  Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Charles Thatcher, Jon was a lifelong Hawkeye fan.   He attended the University of Iowa, first earning a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy 1984, then a Doctorate of Pharmacy in 1989, and finally a Doctorate in Medicine from the Iowa College of Medicine in 1992, graduating second in his medical school class with honors in all areas except Obstetrics (those babies were too slippery!)  His passion for medicine was evidenced by the numerous awards he collected including the Cooper Award in Biology, the W.R. Ingram Award for Superior Achievement in Medical Neuroscience, the Rho Chi Honor Society (top 5% of junior class) and the prestigious John and Oral Sebelin Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine as a senior medical student.

After completing medical school, Jon went on to an Internal Medicine Residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines from 1992 to 1995, culminating with being named Outstanding Senior Medical Resident.   After residency, he returned to Iowa City, to complete a Cardiology Fellowship at the University of Iowa, earning the Cardiology Fellows Abstract Award from the American Heart Association in 1997.  

Jon practiced as a cardiologist for the Iowa Clinic from 1998 through 2020.  He also served as Clinical Adjunct Professor at the University of Iowa School of Medicine (Carver College of Medicine), Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiovascular Disease.  He lived in Urbandale before moving back to his Newton hometown in 2014.  A born teacher, Jon savored educating the residents and medical students.  He loved his patients and strived to treat them as if they were part of his family.  Making a personal connection with them was as important to him as assisting them medically. He strived to be a role model to his patients through healthy eating and regular exercise.  He was a runner for several years, switching to bicycling after he wore out his knees.  The pinnacle of his cycling career was completing the Triple Bypass Bicycle Ride in Colorado in 2018, a one-day 120 mile ride, summiting three mountain passes with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain.  Jon was a regular RAGBRAI participant, and could often be seen riding a daily nostalgic 25-mile route around Newton.  

Jon is survived by his wife, Kathleen, his sons Ronan Jon (Lindsey) Fudge of Iowa City, Conor Patrick (fiancé Amy) Fudge of Newton, Ian Michael Fudge (Brenda Collins) of Iowa City and last, but certainly not least, his “small but mighty” granddaughter McKenzie Nicole Fudge and a tiny “bun in the oven”, both in Iowa City.  Jon is also survived by his parents Clifford and Josephine Fudge of Newton, sisters Jackie (Bill) Hunt of Fort Collins, Colorado and Lora (Mike) Noesen of Niwot, Colorado, his aunt Charlotte Mauk of Arvada, Colorado, his uncle Tim (Pam) Thatcher of Bandera, Texas, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Also surviving is his beloved dog, Hawkeye, “the killer yorkie.”

A private Celebration of Life will take place, and due to COVID-19 restrictions, a Facebook Live broadcast of the service will begin at 10:30 A.M. on Friday November 27, 2020, and may be viewed on the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory Facebook page.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Jon’s memory to the University of Iowa, to benefit the general scholarship funds of both the College of Medicine and the College of Pharmacy.  Contributions can be made payable to the “University of Iowa Center for Advancement” and mailed to: University of Iowa Center for Advancement, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, Iowa 52244-4550 or via the website: https://donate.givetoiowa.org.

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