Joseph D. Love, Jr., MD

Class Year

1971

Affiliation

Alumni

Posted on: December 12, 2023

Danny was born June 27, 1945, in Bristol, Commonwealth of Virginia, at an early age, while his dad returned to the South Pacific for a second tour with the Navy. Coddled his first six months by his mother, two doting aunts, and his maternal Grandfather, Dan enjoyed car rides on rationed gas, and he never recovered, nor looked back.

Dan moved back to Columbia, SC before he was two. He spent his idyllic childhood in the backyards and the schools of East Columbia, laughing hilariously as he and his sister spent their time goading his brother to ride his tricycle off the porch, blindfolded. Nonetheless, feeling expatriated from his native Virginia, he excelled at A.C Flora High School as an incredible fullback, student body president, Key Club president, left-handed pitcher, and general all-around good guy. After earning national merit praise, Dan received a full ride to Princeton. Following Princeton, he attended the UVA School of Medicine, and then did his residency at the University of California, San Francisco where he was asked to be the on-call doctor for the Rolling Stones 1969 concert at Winterland. Subsequently, he returned to Columbia in 1975, upon the inception of the new USC School of Medicine, and was proud to play a part in its development.

Only in the South would a medical colleague introduce him to his cousin, Arney Boyle (Love), leading to many years of happy marriage. The phrase idyllic again, comes to mind, not to mention, beautiful, charming, and oh so very fun. Take note, if Arney (hopefully) has outlived me, this obit has undoubtedly suffered heavy editing. (And it did!)

Dan dedicated his career to practicing medicine and teaching pulmonology. He helped thousands of people along their medical journey, and along with his partners, improved the quality of life of countless patients. While helping people was his lifelong directive, he would say that his most proud accomplishment as a physician is that he never missed an important life moment for his daughters, always making a point to kiss them before he went to work early and juggling his call schedule, so he never missed a single performance, sports competition, or doctor’s appointment.

Dan loved his family, traveling (especially to Africa), reading constantly, and writing papers for the Forum Club and the Columbia Medical Journal Club. He especially loved spending time at his family home at Lake Murray and at The End of the Rainbow at Pawleys Island. When he wasn’t busy saving Charlie Palmer, picking shrimp, painting furniture, being the maintenance man, packing the cooler, or serving as the resident dishwasher at the two spots, he most of all loved being in the presence of family and friends on one of the porches for good company, music, and some of Arney’s famous stories.

Life is a highway, complete with two wonderful daughters, Elizabeth Love Wallace (Clint) and Nancy Love McGugan (Andrew) and four grandsons: Reynolds, Caid, Steele and Sawyer. He is also survived by his sister Betty Love Dyer (Harry), his brother, Michael E. Love (Vivian), sister-in-Law, Laurie B. Hopkins (Christie), brothers-in-law, Yancey A. McLeod, Eugene Charles McGregor Boyle (Kelly) and a host of nieces and nephews whom he adored.

Vignettes abound. An eager life-learner, he enthusiastically loved spending time with his four wildly smart grandsons and passing along his incredible wisdom, and his sense of humor, every pun intended. A devotee of the great American philosopher, Kermit the Frog, “Time’s fun when you’re having flies.” Ever fortunate, he took great joy in snuggling up with Sawyer in the living room in his last days, no doubt ready to storm the castle while holding his hand listening to Hamilton. When he wasn’t quizzing his grandson Caid on multiplication problems, he loved sharing a bowl of ice cream with his grandson Steele. He coached his then two-year-old grandson, Reynolds, to name the capital of Tanna Tuva, “Kyzyl, Dan.”

Dan died knowing that The Princess Bride was the best movie ever and that Jerry Jeff Walker was one of the best singers there was, and most of all, loving Arney.