Dr. Kerri Simpson Remmel, M.D., Ph.D.

September 19, 1953
– June 20, 2025

SHELBYVILLE, Kentucky - With heavy hearts and profound sorrow, we announce the passing of Dr. Kerri Simpson Remmel, a visionary physician, mentor, and leader, who departed peacefully on June 20, 2025, at the age of 71, surrounded by love.
She was born on Sept. 19, 1953, in Corpus Christi, Texas, and raised in Louisiana. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in Crowley in 1971.
She earned her Ph.D. in Communication Disorders and Linguistics from Louisiana State University, then pursued her medical degree to deepen her impact on patients navigating the aftermath of stroke.
Kerri’s journey from speech-language pathology to nationally renowned vascular neurologist was guided by an unshakable commitment to improving lives.
As Chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Louisville and Director of the University of Louisville Hospital Stroke Center, she led with brilliance and heart. Her efforts transformed stroke care across Kentucky, earning the hospital the state’s first national certification as a Primary and Comprehensive Stroke Center.
A passionate educator, she was honored as a Joy McCann Scholar and mentored generations of medical professionals, setting a standard of excellence grounded in compassion and high expectations.
Dr. Remmel served as Kentucky’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force Co-Chair, tirelessly advocating for system-wide improvements in prevention, treatment, and recovery. After retirement from the University of Louisville, she continued her work at Regional Brain Institute (RBI) extending care where patients need it most, in rural and underserved areas.
As a team member of RBI, she reflected the same passionate drive, bringing deep clinical insight, leadership, and a contagious zest for life to every corner of the organization.
To colleagues, she was the ultimate mentor and collaborator. To students, a guide. To patients, a source of strength and healing. To her family, she was everything. She was the voice of reason and comfort, a friend, traveler, lover of LSU football and the marching band, and most importantly a loving mother to JB and Chris.
She faced a decade-long battle with medullary thyroid cancer with the same tenacity and grace that defined her career, living every moment with purpose and positivity.
Dr. Remmel is survived by her beloved sons, Dr. JB Remmel (Erin) and Chris Remmel; her siblings Cindy Velten (John), Chris Simpson (Lisa), and Carol Doré (Lonnie); numerous nieces and nephews; and the countless individuals she inspired through her life’s work.
Visitation was held Wednesday, June 25, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Shannon Funeral Home, 1124 Main Street, Shelbyville, Kentucky.
A celebration of her life took place at the same location on Thursday, June 26 at 11 a.m., with a private family interment following at Cave Hill Cemetery.
Though the world has lost a pioneering physician and extraordinary human being, Kerri’s spirit endures in every life she touched. Her legacy of excellence, compassion, and unrelenting dedication will continue to light the path for generations to come.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Niekro Foundation for the newly formed Kerri Simpson Remmel and Niekro Foundation Neurovascular Team Excellence Lectureship at the Association of Neurovascular Clinicians annual meeting. Checks can be mailed to:
The Joe Niekro Foundation
Attention: Elizabeth Hamburg, Executive Director
2401 Fountain View Dr, Ste 312
Houston, TX 77057
Arrangements were entrusted to Shannon Funeral Home, Shelbyville, Kentucky, 502-633-1266.