HOUSTON – If it's true that God works through surgeons' hands, Dr. "Red" Duke felt the faith.
"Dr. Duke was a very spiritual person, and a lot of people may not know this but he actually performed numerous marriage ceremonies right here," said Tom Flanagan, vice president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Michelle McNutt was a bride in one of those ceremonies and she stood by Duke's side right up to his passing.
"I was a resident with him first, a fellow, and I've been a partner of his for the past five years," she said.
With her professional ties to the iconic trauma surgeon, she has one association that few share.
"We actually had to convince him to marry us and at the end of the day he said he was really happy he did it and we certainly were too," she said.
Duke married her and her husband in 2011. Later, they had twins Katelyn and James. Their first son named after Dr. James "Red" Duke.
"He [Duke] was honored and said James is going to grow up to do great things and I think he is," McNutt said.
Quite an honor to share the name of someone whose legacy graces the skies of Houston with the air ambulance service, Life Flight, and will live on in medicine forever.
"I'm hoping that for the rest of the community when they see the red helicopter blazing the skies of Houston, when they look up and see that, it's a remembrance of Dr. Duke," Flanagan said.
"Every life I've saved and every life I will save it because of Dr. Duke and what he taught me," McNutt said.
Duke's family is planning a private funeral service and burial.
He will be buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
A public visitation is still being arranged.
