Community mourns loss of Dayton-area doctor

The death of a retired pediatrician, missing for two days and suffering from dementia and Parkinson’s disease, drew reaction from people across the Miami Valley.

Expressions of sadness and nostalgia came from people who had known Dr. Daniel Conforti when he was an intern at the then Children’s Hospital of Columbus, parents and patients who visited his offices in Kettering and Springboro and those who helped search for him.

“It’s just tragic. My mother is suffering from Parkinson’s and dementia. It hits close to home for me,” said John Terrill, chief of the Clearcreek Twp. Police Department.

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“Our prayers go out to the family,” said Terrill who first discovered Conforti’s body, about an hour after rangers found his car by the Furnas Shores Boat Ramp at the park outside Waynesville.

Heather Clutter of Kettering recalled two generations of care from “Dr. Dan.”

From 1981-90, “I was a very sick kid. I was in his office twice a week during that time,” Clutter said on Tuesday.

She remember Conforti’s cartoon ties, emblazoned with scenes from Dr. Seuss or Peanuts.

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When she was 4 1/2, Clutter said Conforti brought his young son to the office to hold her hand as the doctor stitched up her head after she cracked heads with her brother after the power went out.

More recently, Clutter was back in Conforti’s office as a parent.

“He was the first pediatrician to hold my baby girl who is now 15,” she said during a telephone interview.

“I have a great deal of love, respect, and stories,” Clutter said.

On social media, dozens of people expressed their sympathy for Conforti’s family.

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The incident began last Saturday when Conforti’s family reported he had left home without his medication.

It ended when his body was found about 2:30 p.m. on Monday.

“Mr. Conforti had died by an apparent self-inflicted injury. The death investigation is being handled by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources,” according to a press release from the Clearcreek Twp. Police Department, which also expressed appreciation to everyone who assisted in the search.

No funeral arrangements were available Tuesday.

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