Henry "Hank" James Tabeling

Hank peacefully passed away in Jacksonville, FL on June 20, 2023 at Mayo Clinic after a short but intense battle with multiple myloma.

He was born in Covington, KY on October 26, 1948 born to Harry Tabeling and Dorothy Baumer. He attended St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Xavier University, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry.

He then served active duty in the U. S. Air Force from 1975- 1977. Once honorably discharged, he completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at University of Florida. Hank operated private practice oral surgery offices in Raleigh, NC and then in Jacksonville, FL for several years.

When Hank wasn’t working, his passion was riding bicycles.  He participated in the yearly MS150 fundraiser rides (150 miles) from St. Augustine to Daytona Beach, FL for multiple years during his years living in Jacksonville/St. Augustine area. His bicycle adventures also included a week’s ride through Vermont/Quebec, a tour through the French countryside, and trails throughout Michigan including Mackinac Island.

Later in life, Hank had his only son Henry with Vickie Kaiser, whom he met and married in St. Augustine, FL. Hank was a devoted and loving father who actively encouraged his son to always try new things. This mindset led to Henry playing baseball, lacrosse, golf, participating in the MS150, and learning to play the piano and trumpet. In 2013, he insisted that his son attend St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, OH to continue the “long blue line” of Tabeling’s who had attended there. He regularly stated that his greatest achievement was the education of his son.  While in Cincinnati area, Hank continued with his bicycling passion by riding on the Ohio Rails-to-Trails system on his three-wheeled recumbent bike. His favorite place was the Loveland bike trail just outside Cincinnati.

Hank moved back to Jacksonville, FL in 2021 while his son was attending University of Alabama.

Hank is survived by his only child, Henry Zachary Tabeling of Kent, OH., and Henry’s mother, Vickie Kaiser of Franklin, TN. He is preceded in death by his parents, and only brother, John Tabeling.