MRS. JOY HORVATH, WIFE OF LTC EDWARD P HORVATH, M.D., INTERNAL MEDICINE: SUPPORTING SERVICE.

Supporting her husband while he serves in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps is something that comes natural to Joy Horvath, wife of Dr. Richard Horvath.

Dr. Edward P. Horvath initially served in the Navy in the 1960s and was on active duty with the U.S. Navy and its medical corps in the 1970s. Shortly after, Dr. Horvath left military service and moved to private practice so he could spend more time with his family. Once his children became grown, he realized he had “some unfinished business” to take care of and decided to take the oath of office for the second time in his life as he became a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps.

When asked how she felt about her husband expressing interest in joining she said she had no real reaction. “I knew that this was something that he enjoyed,” she said. “And so I was happy to go along with it.” Like many other physicians in the Army Reserve Medical Corps, Dr. Horvath has always had the desire to serve. “He feels that he is needed by the soldiers and that makes him very happy,” said Joy. “This, in turn, makes me happy.”

The couple has been married since 1975 when Dr. Horvath was still in the Navy. They have two boys and one girl. Both boys are currently in the Navy and their daughter is a resident. Currently, Dr. Horvath serves in Internal Medicine as the Chief of Professional Services at the 256 Combat Support Hospital in the Cleveland area.

Since his involvement, Dr. Horvath has been deployed and mobilized. He has been deployed to Iraq and was mobilized to Minnesota for six months, which was his longest deployment or mobilization commitment. He has also gone on two humanitarian missions, one in Egypt and the other in Guatemala. Whenever Dr. Horvath is deployed or mobilized, the couple still has the chance to communicate very frequently. “We talk mostly through email,” said Joy. “But Edward also has a calling card that allows us to speak on a regular basis.”

When asked what effect Dr. Horvath’s service has on their children she said, “I don’t feel that his involvement with the Reserve directly affects them as much as it would if they were younger. But, he did go into the Reserve to set an example for his boys.”Supporting this mindset to serve by example, Joy also joined the Army Reserve after 9/11.

Although Joy says that her husband’s deployment is always difficult to deal with, she feels it’s much easier to cope with because it’s so rewarding for him. “If someone is interested in the Army Reserve Medical Corps then do not stand in their way,” she said. “It’s so gratifying to them so it is gratifying for you.”

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