Dr. Agustin Collado better known as "Gus" closed his eyes on earth and opened them in heaven on Thursday, April 20, 2017. He was born in Manilva, in the Provence of Malaga, Spain, on November 1, 1941.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude from The University of Granada, Spain he came to the United States in 1966 and did his internship at Greater Baltimore Medical Center and his residency in Mount Sinai, earning a Fellowship at Johns Hopkins.
"Dr. Gus" moved to Port Charlotte, Florida in 1972. The only Cardiologist in Charlotte County, he was one of the six original members of Intermedic, and later served with Charlotte Heart & Vascular Institute. He was one of the founding fathers of Fawcett Memorial Hospital and a member of Fawcett for over 40 years.
With his deep faith in God was insurmountable and always his guide, Dr. Gus felt it was his gift and his calling to heal and protect others. At the hospitals as he made his rounds, he whistled as he walked the hallways, always sharing a pleasant smile and kind words with patients and staff. When a patient required certain tests that were prohibitive due to lack of insurance or financial means, Dr. Gus would ask fellow physicians if there was any way they could provide same and if not, many times he would pay for tests and services himself, never letting others know he had done so.
In addition to his passionate dedication to helping people heal, he was a man of strong opinions if you mentioned politics he became a lion that roared, but then you could immediately ask anything about soccer and he would explain the latest games in detail.
Dr. Augustin Collado was a fine physician, a family man, and the personification of kindness and generosity. Semi-retired at the time of his death but as dedicated as ever to healing others, Dr. Gus spent most of his waking hours volunteering at The Virginia B. Andes Community Clinic. Ironically, his great desire to help persons in need ultimately led to his untimely accidental death, as he was crossing the street from Fawcett Hospital to Virginia B. Andes Community Clinic to assist a patient when he was struck down by an automobile.
He is survived by Dolores, his wife of 50 years, his children, Patrick, Irene, David, Holly and Daniel, four grandchildren, Brigitte, Peyton, Sebastian and Lucas and brothers Fr. José Collado and Miguel Collado.
Services will be on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at St. Charles Borremeo Catholic Church, Service The family will receive friends from 10:30am till 11:30 am. The Funeral Mass will follow at 11:30 am. In lieu of flowers his family asks that donations be made to The Virginia B. Andes Community Clinic, 21297 Olean Blvd, Unit B - Port Charlotte, FL 33952.

Information from Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Homes & Cremation Services - Port Charlotte, FL

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A well-known Port Charlotte doctor died while doing what he loved: trying to help others.
Dr. Agustin Collado, better known as Dr. Gus, was killed while walking to volunteer at the Virginia B. Andes Community Clinic.
He was hit by a car while crossing Olean Boulevard from Fawcett Memorial Hospital....
His fellow volunteers, like Mike Moses, say it's a huge loss.
"He's referred to here as Saint Gus," Moses said. "He treated his patients like they were his kids. It's going to be a great loss to the community."
Dr. David Klein, one of the founders of the clinic, knew Collado for 38 years and said the cardiologist never denied a patient.
"When you called him and said I have a patient for you to see, he never asked about insurance or Medicare," Klein said. "He had one answer: 'Send him over, and I'll take care of him.'"
Collado was known to be volunteering at the clinic four days a week, for general medicine and cardiology. He saw at least 100 patients a month.
His good work came to an end when he was hit by an 18-year old driver while crossing the street to get to from the hospital to the clinic. It's a walk he did often, as he was one of the founders of Fawcett Memorial Hospital.
"One of his last words before he could not speak anymore, he said please don't blame the driver. It was just an accident. That's just the kind of guy he was," Klein said.
The crash remains under investigation, and the clinic is now looking to fill the hole Dr. Gus left behind.
"He always went above and beyond for our patients," said clinic CEO Suzanne Roberts. "He was just amazing. He will never be replaced.....

Extracted from NBC2.com on Monday, April 24th 2017

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CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- A pedestrian who walked into the path of a car this month has died, the Florida Highway Patrol reports.
According to an FHP news release, Agustin Collado, 75, of Port Charlotte was walking south across Olean Boulevard near Harbor Boulevard at about 1:20 p.m. on April 12. Collado walked directly into the path of a Mitsubishi Lancer driven east on Olean by Shania Quinones-Padilla, 18, of Port Charlotte. The front of the Mitsubishi struck Collado.
Collado died April 20 at Blake Medical Center. Quinones-Padilla, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured.
The case is under investigation.

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Dr. Agustin Collado

Nov. 1, 1941 – April 20, 2017

AGUSTIN “GUS” COLADO was more than a doctor or cardiologist to his patients and colleagues at the Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Community Clinic in Port Charlotte.
“He was a super human being,” said Mike Moses, coordinator of wellness services. “He was the kind of physician who went into medicine because he just liked helping people. I don’t know how many times I saw him reach into his pocket and give money to patients who couldn’t afford their prescriptions, their rent. He spent an unheard of amount of time with patients; I’d go out to the waiting room and apologize for running late.”
Dr. Collado volunteered at the clinic in addition to working at Fawcett Memorial Hospital just across Olean Boulevard. Mr. Moses recalled meeting “Dr. Gus,” as many patients called him, two years ago. He spied the somewhat befuddled doctor eying the bane of many long-time practitioners: a computer.
“A lot of older providers didn’t go into medicine to fill out all the information required by our computerized record-keeping system,” he said. “I walked by and saw him standing in a room by himself. I asked if he needed any help. He did. He liked patients, not the computer.”
Thus began a friendship and a deep respect for a doctor who started donating even more time to build up the clinic’s cardiology program and provide top-notch medical care to the under-served in Charlotte County. Dr. Collado was so well liked among his patients, many asked to stay with him after qualifying for Medicare or Medicaid.
The beloved doctor, 75, died a week after being hit by a car April 12 while crossing Olean Boulevard – a walk he’d made hundreds of times. And it was Mr. Moses he asked for while waiting for EMS to arrive.
“He came across the street all the time,” said Mr. Moses, a retired EMT. “I stayed by his side.”
A native of Manilva, Spain, Dr. Collado arrived in the U.S. in 1966 for an internship at Greater Baltimore Medical Center and a residency in Mount Sinai. He earned a fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He and his wife of 50 years, Dolores, moved to Port Charlotte in 1972. He was the only cardiologist in the county. Dr. Collado and five others founded the predecessor to the Charlotte Heart & Vascular Institute; he was also one of the founding fathers of Fawcett and a member for more than 40 years.
At the hospital, patients and staff often heard him before they saw him. He was known to whistle while making rounds.
Billie Ann DeRose worked with “Uncle Gus” for 34 years at Fawcett. “He called me Billie Jean,” she shared on Dr. Collado’s tribute site. “He would sing Michael Jackson’s song ‘Billie Jean,’ rubbing his hands together and dancing down the hall. I gave up telling him my middle name was Ann after seven years … He saved so many people … he saved my husband’s life.”
“One of the things people on the hospital floors always say about him is they knew he was coming because they heard him whistling,” said Mr. Moses.
In recent years, semi-retirement provided more time for Dr. Collado to volunteer at the clinic.
“He was really scheduled for two days but he came in way more than that,” said Mr. Moses. “He would always adjust his schedule to accommodate a patient. We knew we could always call him.”
Dr. Collado was also the rare breed of physician who took matters into his own hands. He’d often personally call a hospital or medical office to get patient records.
“You don’t see too many doctors who’d do that,” Mr. Moses said. “We hit it off right away and become closer over time.”
The clinic, which operates on grants and philanthropy to provide no-cost medical care and an onsite pharmacy, has established a donation page on its homesite in Dr. Collado’s honor.

Extracted from Florida Weekly, December 28, 2017