- Date Of Birth: October 22, 1955
- Date Of Death: March 25, 2022
- State: Indiana
Dr. Robert J. Hagen “Bob” passed away unexpectedly at a conference in Chicago on March 25, 2022.
Bob was born in Detroit, MI on October 22, 1955, to the late James and Betty Hagen. When Bob was 11 years old, his parents moved he and his two older siblings to Bradenton, Florida. Despite their own modest situation, his parents instilled a work ethic and the desire to help in the children, who all three worked in medical careers: Bob’s sister, Sue was a nurse and brother Bill was a dentist.
Bob attended the University of Florida where he met his wife, Debbie, during their freshman year. Within a few months, the couple was inseparable and in 1976 they graduated and got married. Bob continued his education in medical school at the University of South Florida and completed his Orthopaedic residency at the University of Missouri in 1985. He returned to Florida to start his practice at the Jewett Clinic in Winter Park, Florida. Bob soon found a better opportunity to practice in Lafayette with the Lafayette Orthopaedic Clinic that afforded him more time to spend with patients, start a family, and volunteer in the community. It turned out to be a perfect fit for he and his family.
Bob and Debbie have been married for over 45 years. During that time the couple had two children; a daughter, Jessica, and a son, Alex. He modeled his own upbringing with his children, instilling them with the same work ethic and respect for education. Despite having a very busy professional life, Bob was a wonderful father who was very involved in his children’s lives, including many years coaching his children’s teams; mostly playing soccer. Bob was very proud of his children.
But Bob’s most proud accomplishment is his four grandchildren. His daughter and her husband, Nate, have two boys, Greyson, age 5 and Parker, age 2. His son and his wife, Justine, have a boy and a girl, Winston, 19 months and Charlotte, 3 weeks. If you had seen Bob recently, he probably showed you pictures of them. Bob absolutely adored his grandsons, and they absolutely adored their grandpa. And Charlotte was already wrapping him around her finger.
Bob was very active in the community, through professional pursuits, community service, and his love for Purdue Basketball, Jeff Football, and the people of Lafayette. In 1993, he helped start Unity Healthcare, and his involvement with Franciscan Alliance Hospital during his career included being the Orthopedic Department Chairman for 20 years, and on the executive committee for 20 years. He worked with the Purdue campus of the IU School of Medicine. He not only taught and mentored students there but was the chairman in 2014, of the fundraising programs for the new Lyles-Porter Hall. He was the team physician for West Lafayette High School for over 30 years and Lafayette Jefferson High School for over 25 years, a position he continued even after his retirement. He also provided orthopedic consultation to 16 other area high schools.
While Bob was interested in many community and charitable causes, his special interest was the United Way where he served on their campaign cabinet, board, and health services divisions since 2006. In 2017, he was the United Way campaign chairman.
In his professional societies, he served on the board and various legislative committees of the Indiana Orthopaedic Society since 1988. He was the state president in 2000. In the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, he was a member of the Board of Councilors from 2011-2017. He continued to travel to Washington DC with this group to advocate for healthcare.
Some of his many awards are:
2006: Bill DeFouw Campaign Leadership Award
2007: I received the Indiana State Medical Association’s Physician of the Year Award
2007: The Outstanding Contributor to Football from the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the National Football Foundation
2015: Indiana Orthopedic Society Distinguished Orthopedist Award
2017: Indiana School of Medicine Voluntary Faculty Member of the Year
2018: Bill DeFouw Campaign Leadership Award
Bob retired in 2019 after 34 years of orthopedic surgery practice in Lafayette but was still serving the community in various positions even after his retirement. He will be missed.
