Following his military commitment, he completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, followed by a Cardiology Fellowship at the same Institution. He came to Midland in 1964 joining Doctors Robert Ballmer and Robert Bridge and established a practice in Cardiology and Internal Medicine. In 1965, Doctor Kwast in conjunction with Doctor Bridge established a dedicated Coronary Care unit at Midland Hospital, the first such unit in the Saginaw Valley. Doctor Kwast served as Medical Director of the coronary care unit for over 30 years. He held many positions at Mid-Michigan Medical Center. For many years, he was the director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit, chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, and director of the Non-evasive Cardiology Laboratory. He was also past President of the Midland County Medical Society and a member of the hospital Staff Executive Committee. He was a voluntary medical staff instructor in Internal Medicine and Cardiology for the Family Practice Residency program at Mid-Michigan Medical Center for 38 years. Doctor Kwast was also a consultant to the Michigan Department of Public Health Cardiovascular Task-Force and a lecturer for the Michigan Heart Association. He especially enjoyed teaching electrocardiography and cardiac auscultation to resident physicians and nurses. Doctor Kwast belonged to many medical organizations as follows: Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and for four years a member of the Michigan Chapter Legislative affairs Committee, Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Council of Clinical Cardiology or the American Heart Association, Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, American Society of Echocardiography, American Society of Internal Medicine, American Medical Association, Michigan State Medical Society, and the Midland County Medical Society. One of his great joys was traveling around the world with his loving wife Ilah. He had the opportunity to visit 106 countries and all seven continents. The most memorable events were five African wildlife photo safaris, and viewing the spectacular scenery and animal life in Antarctica and the Arctic.

He enjoyed photography, bird and animal watching, golf, as well as time at his vacation home at Houghton Lake entertaining family and friends. He loved classical music and opera. He began listening to the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts as a teenager and missed very few broadcasts over the next sixty years. In recent years, he was able to attend many Metropolitan Opera productions in New York City as well as opera performances in London, Vienna, Moscow, and Prague. In his early adult years, he was an accomplished artist, painting with oil on canvas. He also had great interest in history, geography, American and world literature. He did extensive genealogical archival research in the United States, Germany and the Ukraine. He interviewed many cousins in Germany regarding a distinct ethnic group, “The Germans from Russia.” In 2007, he published the result of his many years of research. Doctor Kwast contributed time to community service, being member of the Midland-Dow Community Advisory Panel for a number of years. He served on the board of the Pardee Cancer Treatment Fund of Midland for 18 years. He was predeceased by his parents, his three brothers and their spouses; Reinhard (Elsie), Alfred (Walda), Rudolph; his two sisters and spouses; Olga (Edward) Powell, and Erna (Otto) Strauss. He is survived by his wife Ilah, two sons and spouses, Karl (Ann) of Midland, Kurt (Joanne) and granddaughters Mikayla Rose and Naomi Ruth of Long Beach, California; a sister-in-law, Leola (Becker) Kwast, a number of nieces and nephews, many grand and great-grand nieces and nephews, and three special honorary grandchildren, Terra, Sarah, and Sam Doctor Kwast was cremated at his request. There will be a memorial service celebrating his life, 2 p.m. Saturday, February 26, 2011, from the First United Methodist Church. Rev. Dr. Brent McCumons will officiate. Inurnment will be at Deepdale Memorial Gardens, Lansing, Michigan. Doctor Kwast family will receive friends at the Ware-Smith Woolever Funeral Home, 1200 West Wheeler Street, on Friday from 5-7 p.m. and at the church on Saturday from 1 p.m. until time of service. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorials to the Pardee Cancer Treatment Fund of Midland-Gladwin, 4005 Orchard Drive, Suitel012A, Midland, Ml 48470, or through the Ware Smith Woolever Funeral Home, 1200 W. Wheeler Street, Midland, Mi 48640.