November 17, 1930 – March 10, 2025

National Medical Fellowships is deeply saddened by the passing of Ludlow B. Creary, M.D., M.P.H., a cherished, longtime supporter of our organization and the scholars we serve.  

Dr. Ludlow Creary was a healer and tireless advocate whose legacy continues to shape the future of medicine. As a distinguished physician and leader, Dr. Creary dedicated his life to advancing opportunities for aspiring medical professionals and improving health outcomes in communities facing the greatest health challenges. His pioneering work helped broaden access to medical education, paving the way for generations of physicians. 

Alongside his beloved wife, Ruth Creary, Ph.D., Dr. Ludlow B. Creary co-founded the Creary Family Foundation to provide philanthropic support to more than 50 non-profit organizations, including establishing scholarships such as the Drs. Ludlow and Ruth Creary Family Foundation Scholarship with NMF in 2020, and supporting events such as NMF’s galas. Together, they’ve helped to raise tens of millions of dollars for a variety of organizations in Los Angeles and beyond. 

Described as a “power couple in health and behavioral care since the early eighties,” Drs. Ludlow and Ruth Creary received NMF’s Legacy Award in 2019 for their multiple decades’ worth of health service to and financial support for communities with the greatest health and wellness challenges.  

“We always believe things can get better, so we persevere and help those around us not to give up either,” they told NMF in 2023.  

Dr. Ludlow B. Creary earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry and math from Long Island University-Brooklyn, his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, and his Master of Public Health from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).  

In 1971, he co-founded the historic West Adams Hospital in Los Angeles – the first of its kind to be owned and operated by Black physicians in California – and also participated in the establishment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Watts-Willowbrook, where he trained medical students, residents, and physician assistants and provided family medicine services to under-resourced communities for nearly 25 years.  

Dr. Ludlow Creary then spent two decades participating in the creation of the joint medical program before becoming the inaugural Chair of the Department of Family Medicine for the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the Davis Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  

After retiring, he and Dr. Ruth Creary purchased the first Visiting Angels’ senior in-home care franchise in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, where he served as medical director for more than 17 years before its sale. Dr. Ludlow B. Creary also spent his time mentoring medical students and colleagues, lending expertise to community health screenings, and lecturing at various non-profits and medical education programs nationwide.  

Dr. Ludlow B. Creary’s work earned him meritorious and legacy awards from organizations such as the National Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Minority Health Institute, the Special Needs Network, and NMF. 

His book, “Getting Through: Uplifting Words on Overcoming, Persevering & Achieving,” is full of wisdom, advice, and mentorship based on the nine decades of his personal and professional experiences.  

NMF is forever grateful for and honored by the Creary family’s commitment to its mission and the many scholars they supported through their philanthropy.