A legacy of care for animals
Frank Coble was a second-generation Springfield veterinarian who radically changed how animals are cared for in the community by instituting advanced treatment techniques, establishing an emergency clinic and training a new generation of animal doctors.
Coble died Sept. 8 at the age of 80 after battling dementia for several years. He loved to hunt, fish and care for animals. For decades, two or three Labrador retrievers followed in his wake wherever he walked.
“Dr. Coble was a brilliant veterinarian who took the time to mentor me and others,” said Dr. Joan Saner Reeder, who worked for him for 23 years before buying Coble Animal Hospital from him in 2024. “He was one of the first in Springfield to perform sophisticated orthopedic surgeries on dogs and cats. He introduced ultrasound imaging, digital radiography and laser surgeries into his veterinary practice.”
Frank was one of four sons of Dr. J. Porter Coble and his wife, Alyce. After high school, he attended Western Illinois University, graduating in 1966 with honors. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1970.
For years, Coble was considered one of Springfield’s most eligible bachelors. To this day, octogenarians and septuagenarians share that they had crushes on him as young and middle-aged women.
Unknown to most folks was that he went through life brokenhearted after losing his fiancée, Mary Louise Seiz, in a 1968 car wreck while he was in veterinary school.
He never married.
Even in his later years, he spoke fondly of his lost love and what might have been.
After graduating from veterinary school, Coble returned to Springfield to work alongside his father at Coble Animal Hospital, which was established in 1941. In 1985, Frank Coble expanded the family legacy by founding Sangamon Avenue Veterinary Clinic. The two practices have since merged to one location on Sangamon Avenue. Coble also cofounded the Animal Emergency Clinic to broaden emergency care options for pets in the community.
“Frank’s legacy is the care and well-being of animals in Springfield,” his nephew, Jayson Coble, said. “He also was extremely passionate about conserving and protecting wildlife and all types of environmental preservation and conservation. He planted a lot of trees.”
He was especially fond of planting persimmon trees because deer enjoyed eating their fruit.
Over a career spanning more than five decades, Dr. Coble became a pillar of the Springfield veterinary community. According to regional “best-of” peer-voting, he was repeatedly honored as the area’s top veterinarian – testimony to both his professional skill and his connection with pet owners.
His passions extended beyond veterinary medicine into preserving turkeys in their natural habitats. He served on the national board of the National Wild Turkey Federation and hunted turkeys on multiple continents He also enjoyed other outdoor pursuits such as deer hunting, boating and maintaining local farmland.
Scott Reeder, an Illinois Times staff writer, was friends with Coble for 23 years. They traveled together to Pennsylvania, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin. His wife, Joan, now owns Coble Animal Hospital.
This article appears in January 1-7, 2026.
