Longtime local hospital and civic leader Leonard Fant was remembered Friday as a respected, caring servant-leader whose contributions made a lasting impact on his community.
Fant, who served as CEO of Erlanger and North Park hospitals in Chattanooga and as CEO of Hutcheson Medical Center in Fort Oglethorpe, died Thursday at age 82. He was the founder and former chairman of the Hutcheson Health Foundation, which raised money for the hospital, and a co-founder and administrator of Blood Assurance Inc., among other ventures. He spent decades with Kiwanis and United Way, along with other civic organizations that raised money for community improvement.
Even after he retired, "every time you needed Leonard or you needed his influence or his help, he was always available," said Roger Forgey, former Hutcheson CEO, who called Fant both "kind" and "intellectually honest."
"Leonard understood the community, what it took to make things work. If Leonard agreed with what you were doing, you were so much further along," Forgey said.
Dr. David Hall, a thoracic and pulmonary surgeon, served as chief of surgery and chief of medical staff when Fant was Erlanger CEO. He remembers a friendly, down-to-earth "people person" who "probably knew every one" of Erlanger's 1,200 to 1,400 employees.
"He made rounds in the hospital just about every day; he wasn't an administrator that stayed in his office, he stayed out on the floor," Hall said.
Tammy Cole, who worked for nearly a decade with Fant at the Hutcheson Health Foundation, called him a "great leader."
"He exemplified leadership. He was tough when he had to be, but he was extremely understanding and caring and tried to listen to all sides before he came to a conclusion. I just greatly respected him," Cole said.
Betts Berry, who also worked with Fant on the health foundation, said, "Just about every civic board you have in Chattanooga, he was on it, in a leadership position."
"Leonard was very passionate about every cause he took up. He didn't just sit on boards, he was actively engaged in making those organizations better, and he expected the rest of us to be actively involved," Berry said. "He just believed in giving back to the community, with hs time and his leadership talents as well as financially."
Heritage Funeral Home and Crematory in Fort Oglethorpe said funeral arrangements will be announced later.