Dr. John Michael Musgrave

John Michael “Mike” Musgrave passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 9, 2024 after an eight-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was born in Robinson, IL to John Everett Musgrave and Martha Melissa (Rains) Musgrave and was soon followed by his brother Chauncey Rains Musgrave. Mike was salutatorian of his class at Plainfield High School, graduating in 1959, and made the all-state baseball team as a first baseman. 

Mike graduated in 1963 with a B.S. in Pre-Medical Science from DePauw University, where he was a brother of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. At DePauw, he met and later married the love of his life, Portia Elaine Mutschler. He continued on to Indiana University School of Medicine, graduating with his M.D. in 1967. He served for two years as a Captain and Flight Surgeon in the Air Force at March Air Force Base in Riverside, CA, then completed his medical residency in general surgery at Blodgett Memorial Hospital and fellowship in colon rectal surgery at Ferguson Clinic in Grand Rapids, MI. 

Mike began his practice as a colon rectal surgeon in Ft. Wayne, IN in 1975. He was the founding physician of Northeast Indiana Colon Rectal Surgeons, a practice that grew to seven surgeons by the time of his retirement in 2004. During this time, he also served as an examiner for the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. In addition to being adored by his patients, he was revered by his fellow medical providers and was honored to serve as President of the Board and Chief Medical Officer of Lutheran Hospital in Ft. Wayne. After retiring from his surgical practice in 2004, he continued his clinical practice at Kosciusko Community Hospital in Warsaw, IN until 2012. Over the course of his career, he helped heal thousands of people and promoted awareness of colon cancer screening. His ego never sought recognition or praise; it was his life’s passion to create relationships with the patients and families he served, and he felt it was his greatest honor to provide care in his community. 

Beyond his passion for patient care, Mike was a devoted family man and an avid reader, sailor, bird hunter, and lover of old cars, Victorian antiques, and "pretty good dogs." He loved to travel and also spent many happy times at his family’s home on Lake Tippecanoe, where he introduced new, now infamous family recipes including Peach French Toast and Pina Colada Pancakes. He had a quiet but strong sense of faith and was a longtime member of Plymouth Congregational Church in Ft. Wayne and North Webster United Methodist Church in North Webster, IN. 

Mike is survived by Portia, his wife of 59 years, and their children Michael (Lisa Foerster), Megan (Eric Moosbrugger), and Matthew (Susanne Millan), as well as his sister-in-law and oldest friend Mary Ross Musgrave Green. He was the adored Pop-Pop of Maya, Alexandra, Michael, Oscar, Quinten, Max, Jude, Hudson, and Oliver. We will miss his presence, his quiet wisdom, his bone-dry sense of humor, and his bright, sparkling blue eyes, but we take comfort knowing that the lives of his family, friends, and patients were enriched by his love and his wisdom.

A memorial service will be held in Fort Wayne, IN in February 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to The Alzheimer’s Association and the The Watershed Foundation.

Arrangements entrusted to Aaron-Ruben-Nelson Mortuary.