Hardin County Coroner Speaks at Kenton Rotary Meeting

The Hardin County Coroner was the guest speaker at a recent Kenton Rotary lunch.

Hardin County Coroner and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Aaron Fritz was welcomed by Rotarian Jon Steinman.

Dr. Fritz was elected coroner in November 2024 following the departure of Dr. Larry Kuk.  Dr. Fritz received his education in Ohio at The Ohio State University and Ohio University, completed his residency in Canton and began his career in Marion in 1998 at the Smith Clinic and came to Kenton in 2014. 

Beyond being a doctor there are other specific requirements for being a Coroner.  You must be licensed to practice medicine in the state and live in the county where you are the Coroner. 

Dr. Fritz has two part time investigators who he partners with to serve the county.  The Coroner’s key jobs are to determine the manner and cause of deaths, often reviewing and analyzing autopsy findings.  A Coroner must determine which manner of death has occurred; Natural, Accident, Homicide, Suicide or Undetermined and then the cause of death. 

The leading cause of death of persons over 45 years of age is cardiovascular, followed by cancer and accidental causes.  There are several criteria for when autopsies are performed with unexpected death being paramount. 

Other specific job duties include visiting death scenes, identifying human remains, supervising the transportation of corpses, completing death certificates and notifying next of kin.

Submitted by Kenton Rotary: Sam Norris