Deepak Kumar, MD, has always been driven by a desire to help others. As a child, he knew he wanted to be a doctor, a dream he achieved 53 years ago when he graduated from medical school in India.
After relocating to Dayton, Dr. Kumar became the first colon and rectal surgeon in the region, starting his practice in 1976 and beginning a long history of service to community that has interwoven his personal and professional goals into a legacy of good.
“Since my early youth, I was interested in being a surgeon to make meaningful changes in the lives of individuals. Surgery offered real opportunity to see your outcomes on a long-term basis,” said Dr. Kumar, retired president of Dayton Colon and Rectal Center, Inc. “My goal has been to give back to the community that has accepted us and helped us grow and succeed.”
Dr. Kumar and his wife, Surekha, have made it a priority throughout their 52-year marriage to give back. This inspired them to create the Kumar Family Foundation through The Dayton Foundation in 2019. This Family Foundation PlusSM fund helps them to support causes they care about in their adopted community and in their native India.
“I always knew about The Dayton Foundation but didn’t know I could create my own charitable fund. I thought my contributions would go into a general fund and the Foundation would donate to nonprofits of their choosing,” Dr. Kumar said. “I learned from friends and my professional advisor that I could create a fund to support causes of my choosing and that it is easier to work through The Dayton Foundation rather than stand alone. This has turned out to be true."
In addition to his charitable giving, Dr. Kumar has served on several national, state and local boards, including the American Medical Association, American Red Cross Dayton Chapter and Kettering Health (formerly Kettering Medical Center), where he also served as chief of staff. In addition, he was instrumental in the creation of the Kumar Conference Center at Soin Medical Center, which has provided educational opportunities for medical staff, and funded scholarships for medical students in Ohio and in India.
Sharing their blessings with individuals in need is a family tradition for Deepak and Surekha, who are happy to pass down this philosophy to their children and grandchildren through their Dayton Foundation fund. They named their three daughters, two of whom are physicians and one a journalist, as successor advisors on their fund to carry on their family’s legacy of giving.
“Charitable giving and giving back is in our blood. We learned to pay it forward from our parents,” Dr. Kumar said. “We want to help uplift individuals who have experienced setbacks or challenges to get back on their feet. Our fund helps our family do this.”