Dr. John Whitesel was a devoted health practitioner whose big heart was sometimes overshadowed by his lengthy list of appointments and accomplishments.

Yet, in the weeks since his death, Dr. Whitesel's wife, Elizabeth, has been consoled by hearing about previously unknown generous acts her husband performed throughout his distinguished career.

Such stories have provided solace for Dr. Whitesel's family since his death at his Littleton home Jan. 27, at 75, after battling a degenerative disease for about 21/2 years.

"A grandkid of ours was talking to someone at the service, and she told a story of a child that came to the hospital and didn't have insurance," Elizabeth Whitesel said. "She said John just said, 'We'll take care of this and worry about that later.' We have heard a lot of those kinds of stories recently. He was not very talkative and kept a lot of those kinds of feelings to himself.

"As one of my sons said, he loved all living things. He wouldn't cut down a tree if it was still half-alive."

Dr. Whitesel, the former chief of urology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center as well as at Denver Health Medical Center, is survived by his wife of 53 years; three sons, John (Dee) Whitesel, Bruce (Michelle) Whitesel and Steven Whitesel; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Dr. Whitesel was born Sept. 21, 1933, in Cincinnati. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati medical school and moved to Colorado when he accepted an internship at Denver General Hospital. The move began a decorated career along the Front Range. Dr. Whitesel entered a general surgery residency at CU Medical Center in 1959 and began a urology residency at the hospital a year later.

In the mid-1960s, Dr. Whitesel opened a private practice in south Denver and remained there through 1996, when he took an interim position as chief of urology at the CU Health Sciences Center. Throughout his medical career, Dr. Whitesel received numerous awards and served on several distinguished committees, including a stint as president of the Colorado Medical Society.

Outside his practice, Dr. Whitesel enjoyed outdoor ventures.

He climbed all 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, as well as several in Wyoming, and was enthusiastic about scuba diving, gardening and photography, among other activities.

"I think his professional life was always No. 1, but he still always made time for family," Elizabeth Whitesel said. "He was so kind and compassionate. There was a soft side to him. He worked hard, but he would take time off. He would climb the Tetons during a week he had off."