Joseph W. Kraut, Sr. M.D., passed away at his home on Saturday, November 24, 2007. Dr. Kraut was born in Freeport, Illinois on March 13, 1929. He moved to Washington D.C. following graduation from Aquin High School and attended Georgetown University from which he received a bachelor’s degree and George Washington University, from which he received his medical degree. He put himself through school and supported his family by working in the Capitol Police Force, the FBI and the CIA, where he met his former wife, Patricia Kraut.
Dr. Kraut was in private practice in Morgan Hill as a general practitioner from 1962 to 1967, before returning to Stanford University, where he completed additional training in Radiation Oncology. He practiced this specialty at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital, before establishing the St. Louise Cancer Care Center in Morgan Hill in 1991. Dr. Kraut took care of patients at St. Louise until his retirement last year.
He was an avid golfer until the last year of his life and on May 29, 1999 achieved a hole-in-one at Ridgemark Golf Club in Hollister, where he was a member.
He is survived by his long-time companion, Lois Kleinkauf of Morgan Hill, his children; Joseph Kraut, Jr. of Gilroy, Mary Kraut of Los Gatos, Frances Dolida of El Dorado Hills, Matthew Kraut of Shell Beach and Karen Kraut of Pebble Beach and their spouses and significant others and his nine grandchildren.
He will be remembered by those who knew him as a gentleman; a kind and generous man, a loving father, grandfather and friend. He will be missed by many.
Funeral services will be held at St. Catherine’s Church in Morgan Hill at 10 A.M. on Thursday, November 29, 2007. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society www.nationalmssociety.org , the National Cancer Institute http://www.cancer.gov, or the charity of your choice.
