MONROE – Sol Irving Courtman, M.D., passed away peacefully on August 1, at the age of 96. Born April 16th, 1922, in New York, he was the son of Harry and Etta (Lawres) Courtman, both of whom came through Ellis Island. Sol had two siblings, both deceased his older sister who died in infancy, and Ruth, his younger sister, in whom he found much delight.Sol grew up in Brooklyn and had many stories to tell: of being a Jewish boy, going to school, the death of his dad, Hebrew lessons, spending a year in Palestine as a teen with his mom and sister, and going to University of Florida. He was studying to become an agricultural chemist when the US entered WWII. Based in Cerignola, Italy, Sol served with the 15th USAAF, a navigator on B-24s. While he spoke little of the war, except to say the food was lousy and that they had to sober up their 19-year-old pilot before each mission, he loved telling of hearing the southern accents of the Tuskegee Airmen as they flew cover.Sol returned to Florida but with thoughts of changing his career. Not knowing that medical schools were slow to respond to applicants, and not one to wait, Sol enrolled in Harvard Law School. He was in his first semester when he was accepted at Tulane Medical School (Class of 50). After his training was complete, Sol moved to Monroe and began his life as a family practitioner. He closed his office 51 years to the month later. Even then, he had not tired of seeing his patients, of listening to and being a participant in their lives, nor did he lose his delight for learning new things. (To his many patients, thank you for the trust you placed in him.)Sol was fortunate to have had two great romances. In the service, he met Bess Riley on a blind date, arranged by her sister, at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. They were married 52 years and shared many great adventures, until her death in 1999. A few years later, he and Nancy Cobb Davis began a relationship that would lead to their marriage. The two were well-matched in intellect, a love of travel, and a love for each other. Sol is survived by: his wife, Nancy; his four sons, Harry, Mark (Ned), Jeff, and Matt; four grandchildren, Elizabeth, Emily, Ethan, and Noah; and one great-grandson, Patrick.For those who would like to participate in a remembrance of a life lived well, a memorial will be held on October 20th, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Chennault Aviation Museum, 701 Kansas Ln. Sol is best honored by giving to the charity/non-profit of your choice.