Longtime Hilton Head obstetrician G. Neil Love dies

Oct. 20--Dr. G. Neil Love, a Hilton Head Island physician who delivered thousands of babies in Beaufort County, died Friday at his Hilton Head Island home. He was 75.

Love began practicing obstetrics on Hilton Head in 1976 as the island's only obstetrician.

Madeline Cerrudo, a close family friend and former patient of Love, said the doctor was so busy for a time in the early '80s, he didn't leave the island for a year.

"He went a year never crossing the bridge," Cerrudo said. "That's how much he cared about his patients. He never felt like he could leave."

In 2010, Love was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, his wife, Bernadine Love, said.

However, Neil Love continued to work until he retired last May. That's when Hilton Head Hospital dedicated its women's center to him, calling it the Glenn N. Love, MD Women's Center, according to a hospital news release.

Love also served as a medical staff director and board member at the hospital.

"The impact that Dr. Love has had on our hospital for many decades is known by all," Mark O'Neil, hospital president and CEO, said in the release. "He was the consummate physician, board member and administrator, but most of all, he was a friend to us all. He delivered thousands of babies, cared for generations of women and was an esteemed member of our medical staff."

Neil Love was named grand marshal for the 2014 Hilton Head Island St.Patrick's Day Parade and was a fan favorite, parade committee chairwoman Kim Capin said.

Capin, a patient of Love's for more than 30 years, described him as a humble man and compassionate doctor.

"He was an unsung hero, quietly doing things in the background to better our community," Capin said.

Before moving to Hilton Head, he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.

On the island, Love was instrumental in establishing Hilton Head's first obstetrics ward in 1983 and the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry in 1994. He also worked at Genesis Prenatal Clinic in Bluffton, which provided prenatal care to Hispanic women, regardless of their legal or insurance status.

Bluffton resident Martha Michaud worked as a certified nurse's assistant in the obstetrics ward of the hospital, then called Hilton Head Regional Medical Center, for a year before her son was born in 1982.

Michaud said Love left a lasting impact.

"I had the utmost respect for him as a doctor, but he was so laid-back that you called him Neil, which isn't very common with doctors," Michaud said. "He was the sort of doctor who recognized his patients outside of the office, and he referred to his patients as 'ladies,' not 'women' or 'patients.' That was special."

Love's patients say they'll remember his unwavering commitment and the sense of calm he gave them, along with his sense of humor.

Love delivered Hilton Head resident Jennifer Bent's third son on Dec. 18, 2008, and Bent found herself in the emergency seven days later with postpartum complications.

It was Christmas Day, and Bent said Love didn't hesititate to come into the hospital, urgently working to find out what was causing the sudden pain in her abdomen.

"He was so understanding and careful with everything he did," Bent said. "And as serious as he was about taking care of you, he still made you laugh."

Follow reporter Laura Oberle at twitter.com/IPBG_Laura.

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