MONROE — Although most people in and around Monroe know John Bazley most for the work he’s done as an obstetrician-gynecologist, after nearly three decades he said he’s found more in this town than just a job he loves. 

The popular physician could likely land a job almost anywhere, but Bazley said he and his family have an affinity for the small town they feel provides opportunity and is simply filled with good people. 

He and his wife, Amy, have raised their six children mostly in Monroe and along the way have also taken on community involvement, working to make a difference in the lives of others while doing the things they love. 

Bazley was born in northern Florida in Green Cove Springs. It was a small town he compares to Monroe in many ways. 

Although the family moved around a little, by the time he was in kindergarten they had settled in a country home in Florida, where he recalls growing up as the oldest of three children, with a younger brother and sister. 

The family lived on a dirt road, and for fun, one sibling would stay on the dock to watch for alligators while the other swam in the river. He said they were very much “country kids” who also had a boat, learned to water ski and had fun.

His father, also a physician, worked as an OBGYN during a time when some bartered for their services. Bazley said he recalls a bulldozer showing up to help and once a horse was left for payment. 

“Life was a lot better for that then,” he said.

Although Bazley said his younger brother was blessed with a more mellow personality, his own more rambunctious demeanor often brought worry to his mother. He was a boy who couldn’t be contained. 

“I was the rotten one,” he said with a smile. “Mom had a hard time keeping me under control.”

Likely in an effort to get a break from her oldest son, Bazley said she sent him to kindergarten early. As a youngster he struggled in school. By second grade, teachers opted to send him to a Country Day School, but he wasn’t able to pass the entrance exam. Since he wasn’t advancing, he was sent to parochial school and by fourth grade, he was still behind.

The high-spirited Bazley was caught with a friend one day throwing pecans from a tree and earned himself three months banned from recess. He said he spent that time inside, working with thousands of SRA cards, a regulated instruction program that taught him to read. 

“It turned out to be the best thing for me,” he said.

At Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida, Bazley was on the college track and by then knew he hoped to become a physician. He said his interest in medicine and genetics came during junior high, when he found he was fascinated by anatomy. 

Although he hoped to play football in high school, he had to work to gain enough weight to play, and finally was able to enjoy the sport his sophomore through senior year. He also dabbled in baseball, soccer and tennis. 

The 1985 high school graduate said though he hoped to go into medicine, he wasn’t sure on which programs would be good for him. Eventually, he settled on Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He was ready to be away from home, he said, and the small school was a good fit. 

He found enjoyment in college attending sporting events and joined a fraternity where he felt at home. During his second year of medical school, Bazley worked as a manager to a small janitorial staff of students. 

He would wake up early to check the law school to make sure all jobs were completed when a girl often studying there caught his eye. Eventually, he started a conversation and learned her name was Amy, and she was from Beloit, Wisconsin. 

He said he found her number listed in the directory for the university and gave her a call.

“Did I stalk her? Yes,” he said, laughing. 

The couple was engaged after four months. Things moved quickly. In just a few months, they were married, Amy graduated from law school, he graduated from medical school and they soon welcomed their first child. 

The new family found themselves on their way to Pontiac, Michigan, where Bazley would begin his four-year residency. He said his interest then was in plastic surgery. As it turned out, Bazley ended up leaning toward women’s health. 

Through his residency, the couple welcomed two more children. Bazley heard of an opportunity from a colleague who had joined the Navy, which helped with expenses. After looking into it, Bazley decided to do the same. 

Once his residency was finished, Bazley was sent by the Navy to Rhode Island, where he would attend a six-week military training. As a doctor, he was a lieutenant at that time, and soon received orders for Japan. He and Amy welcomed two more children to their brood in Okinawa, Japan. 

“Then, as we said, our two-baby tour ended,” he joked.

Bazley was then sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to complete his time in the service. They enjoyed the area, but it was a wonderful career move for him as well, he said. He was able to not only serve as an OBGYN, but also as a backup trauma surgeon. 

The couple’s time overseas is something they both reflect on fondly. He said the opportunity allowed them to learn about different cultures, people and viewpoints. 

Many of those days, with young children in a new but welcoming place where they met new people and made lifelong friends, were some of the best, he said. 

Once Bazley finished with his service, a job in La Crosse was waiting for him. He had interviewed during a 36-hour leave. However, when he returned that July he was still waiting on his medical license to practice. But when 9/11 happened, he was able to make calls and get it quickly so he could help.  

He moved into the department head role quickly in La Crosse, but said he knew it wasn’t a place he would stay. He began looking at jobs all over the country, he said, and eventually received a call from Monroe Clinic. 

He said the interview was one of the smartest he’s ever been through and the job was a good fit since he was used to a small, rural town.

Bazley’s youngest child was born in Monroe in 2004 and is now the only child still living at home. As he and Amy become empty nesters, he said reflecting back on a home bustling with children who were also involved in extracurricular activities are great memories; but it wasn’t done without help. 

“You can’t survive or do what you do and do it well without support,” he said referring to his wife, Amy. 

He said having a “really great wife” was the reason he was able to do well in his career and is also part of the big successes each of his children are seeing now in their adult lives.

“As doctors, we take things for granted,” Bazley said. “From the cleaning crew to the nurses; we all are needed to make it work. It’s the same with our families. You can’t be good at this without family support.” 

Bazley has been very much dedicated to his patients over the past 16 years at Monroe Clinic, and said in the midst of it he made family a priority as much as he could. He and a fellow doctor would often exchange schedules to get to their children’s events.

“You have to like this lifestyle. You have to want to commit to it. You have to be available to people,” he said.

And though he loves his job, he said that’s not what’s kept him in Monroe.

“We love the community,” Bazley said. “The small town and good people; we’ve made good friends here.”

Along with loving his longtime position, he has also become more passionate on the surgical aspect and technology he can offer to his patients. He’s proud to be a part of a place that provides a fantastic platform for what he does and what they offer. 

Although he’s no longer the new doctor and finds himself on the receiving end of questions and advice, he said he’s flattered to be able to help other colleagues who fully support him. Though he once knew the total count of babies he delivered reached 1,500, he hasn’t kept up with the number in recent years.

Outside of work, Bazley has found time to enjoy himself by curling. A friend suggested he give the sport a try and he became quickly hooked on the laid back but challenging game. He’s been curling now for more than a decade and helps coach high school and middle school students to a hopeful competitive team for Monroe. 

“I have very full winters,” he said.

He has also been involved in the Monroe Morning Optimists Club for about five years and is enthusiastic about their mission. Bazley also enjoys attending fundraisers and functions supporting the many other organizations in town who work to give back to the community. 

“There is a large number of generous people who want to keep this community thriving,” he said. “I’m blown away by how much generosity there is.”

He finds himself captivated by people like farmers, mechanics and others and hopes one day to take on other interests. He said he’s a person who enjoys learning, but realizes that it takes a long time to become good at something.

He and Amy also enjoy travel and after their time overseas. He wanted to pass along the importance of experiencing different cultures. They have a tradition of taking each child on a big trip, which have been memorable times for him. 

 “We want them to appreciate the big world out there,” he said.

He said he isn’t one to lean on a favorite quote, or any single favorite thing in general. He knows there is too much out there to count on, learn about and delve into to choose just one. 

However, he said he tries his best to live by The Optimists Creed: 

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.