Dr. David M. Hora
March 3, 1941- February 14, 2020
Lynx Lake has lost a long term resident. Dr. “Dave” Hora or “Doc” passed away on Valentines Day in Florida, where he was spending the winter in the Florida Keys with his wife Suzanne. Dave graduated from the Loyola University School of Medicine. For over thirty years, he was a very respected Orthopedic Surgeon practicing in the the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Dave also received the Illinois High School Athletic Doctor of the Year award. He was the team physician for 20 years at John Hersey High School and was instrumental in requiring paramedics be present at high school football games.
Dave’s true passion was Lynx Lake. He was the happiest at his home on “Hora’s Point” or on the water. I will miss Dave as he was my “fishing guide”. I used to watch where Dave was fishing and as soon as he left his spot, I’d rush over to claim it. Dave and I would compare notes on how we were doing. We BOTH exaggerated our success, adding inches and pounds to our catches. When we finished “lying” to one another, we would talk about Chicago sports. Dave was very opinionated, but he certainly knew his Chicago teams inside and out. We both suffered over the Chicago Bears and the lack of relief pitching for the Cubs. I need to inform the Bears and Cubs organizations, they lost one of their biggest fans!
Kayaking by Dave’s house late in the afternoon, I could hear the baseball game Dave was listening to on TV. I always wanted to shout out and ask….”Dave, what’s the score?” I never did. I wish I had.
Dave and I were on the same Lynx Lake schedule. We would arrive within days of each other in late April as we both wanted to be there for the “opener” on the first Saturday in May. In the fall, we both lingered at the lake until there had been a snow flurry or two, the leaves off the trees, and the fishing rods safely away in the garage. My wife, Sheila, would ask me, “When are you headed home?” I’d tell her “Not until Dave leaves!”
I have spoken with Suzanne and she informed me that she will be coming back to the Lake in June. Dave Jr. who shares his father’s passion for the Lake and fishing will open the house up this year, so the lights will remain on at Hora Point, albeit the Cubs may not be on TV.
We will all truly miss Dave (except maybe the Beavers). He always waved as my kids terrorized the lake on their skis and tubes. We both lived in the same Chicago suburb and loved to reminisce about the Arlington Heights area.
I remember asking Dave a medical question over a basket of wings at the PI Pub one Tues. night. He asked how I injured it? When I told him, he simply answered “well- don’t do it again”. Best advise I ever got!