Dr. Paul L. Quinter died Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Minster, Ohio, in the place he called home his entire life. He was 69.

Most people who knew him called him "Doc." He was born Jan. 20, 1948, to the late Rudolph and Agnes (Sanders) Quinter.

He grew up on his family's farm, the youngest child of four. He graduated from Minster High School in 1966, then earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati and his medical degree from Ohio State University.

In 1979, after completing his surgery residency, he started St. Mary's Surgical Associates, Inc. He was a board certified general surgeon and fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Quinter decided to become a doctor after a life-changing incident when he was a teenager in 1963. He was passionate about providing high quality care to small communities, and brought the qualities of "a big city surgeon to a small town," family members recalled. Though he worked as a general surgeon, his skills were often relied on to treat traumatic injuries.

A dedicated member of the medical staff of the Joint Township District Memorial Hospital and Mercer Health from 1979 to 2011, his colleagues so valued his contributions that they created a medical staff hall of fame just so that they could put his picture on the wall as its inaugural member, in honor of his commitment.

Quinter met the woman who would become his wife, Carol Rotilie, while in medical school at Ohio State. They married June 5, 1976.

The couple settled on land across the street from where Quinter grew up, naming their home, eventually, Ten Oaks Farm, after both the oak tree - which symbolized strength and longevity - and the size of the family they created together.

Farming was one of Quinter's true passions. Another was coffee. On hot summer days, when he was working in the field, his children would bring him a Thermos full of it - black, just like he liked it. He was rarely seen at community events without a Styrofoam cup of the stuff in his hand.

Quinter was also known for the emphasis he placed on hard work and self-sufficiency, values he passed on to each of his eight children. He would return from work each day, feed the cows and then join his family around the homemade wooden table in the middle of the kitchen that seated them all. He would ensure everyone did their homework, helping them work through problems and challenging them to come up with their own answers.

Quinter retired from his medical practice in 2009. He was a lifelong, devout member of St. Augustine Catholic Church.

He is preceded in death by his granddaughter Mary, his brother Joe, his father-in-law Jack Rotilie and his dear friends and brothers-in-law George Wiss and Jim Kettlewell.

He is survived by his wife, his siblings Rosemary Wiss and Rudolph Quinter and his mother-in-law Lillian Rotilie. He is also survived by eight children and their spouses: Jennifer (Adam) Clune, Matthew (Annette) Quinter, Andrew (Suzanne) Quinter, Katherine (Nick) Fiorilli, Laura Quinter, Lindsay Quinter, Christine Quinter, and Jodie Quinter; and 10 grandchildren: Ian, Kaison, Quinn, Jack, Luke, Noah, Paul, Ivy, Caroline and Harry.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21 at St. Augustine Catholic Church with Rev. Rick Nieberding & Rev. Louis Schmit Con-Celebrants. Burial will take place in St. Augustine Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Hogenkamp Funeral Home from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 20 and from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 21.

Memorials may be made to Grand Lake Hospice or Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association.

Condolences may be left at www.hogenkampfh.com.