Dr. Edward Charles Nieshoff, Jr.

Dr. Edward Charles Nieshoff, Jr., awe-inspiring physician, has passed away at the age of 66. He was known for his brilliance, quick wit, kindness, and superhuman tenacity. All who knew him, worked with him, even only just met him were struck with his intelligence and passion for his career. He was a remarkable man.

Born in Missouri in 1957, the son of Edward Charles and Elizabeth Anne Nieshoff, Ed attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he studied zoology and chemistry. His last year in college took a tragic turn when an accident rendered Ed quadriplegic. Remarkably, he went on to get a masters in genetics, and went through medical school with minimal accommodations. Ed rose to become Medical Director of Spinal Cord Injury Research and Outpatient Programs at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM). Given his unique perspective, Ed was phenomenally adept at connecting with patients in ways that others simply could not. Countless spinal cord injured patients found hope in living a meaningful life under Ed’s tough, but kind and practical care. Ed always used to say that he was “an unapologetic advocate for people with disabilities,” and he proved that countless times over the years.

During his career, Ed was an author, researcher, and principal investigator for many grants, clinical studies, and clinical trials. He received many awards and honors, including Physician of the Year from the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan; his peers chose him as one of the Top Doctors in America by U.S. News and World Report, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wayne State University Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program, and at the 2021 Centennial Celebration, Ed was entered into the Hall of Fame at The Ability Center of Greater Toledo.

But of all his many accomplishments, being the proud father of his two sons brought him the greatest joy in life.

He is survived by his wife Aruna, his two children; Edward Bala; and Charles Raja; and his siblings Patricia Nieshoff and Elizabeth Gadway. He will be missed by brother-in-laws Keith Gadway, Harish Iyer, Kumar Raman; sister-in-laws Jai Raman and Shobhana Iyer; and many nieces and nephews. He will be privately interned at Toledo Memorial Cemetery, and a memorial celebration of his life will be held on a future date.

In lieu of gifts or flowers, we kindly request that you consider making a thoughtful contribution to the Dr. Edward C. Nieshoff Memorial Fund at Creative Living through the following link: https://new.civiconline.org/civic2/Donate/DonateCreativeLiving.jsp

(select Dr. Edward C. Nieshoff Memorial Fund in the campaign section)