Dr. John Page Wilson

John Page Wilson II, M.D. “Jack” passed away July 3, 2016 at his home in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia at the age of 93. He is survived by his beloved wife and companion of 36 years, Diana Schoofs Wilson, his five cherished children by a previous marriage, John Page Wilson III, Esq. (Linda), Bryant Whitley Wilson, M.D. (Andi Schwartz), Ruth Whitley Wilson, James Parish Wilson, M.D. (Cynthia Murphy, M.D.), Stephen Prentiss Wilson (AnLe Banh), and his grandchildren, Claibourne Henry Darden III, Prentiss Whitley Darden, John Page Wilson IV, Liles Alice Wilson, Samuel Stone Wilson, Whitley Harper Wilson, and Ruth Whitley Banh Wilson, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was previously married to the late Ruth Whitley Parish. Born May 21, 1923, in Cooleemee, North Carolina, to the Rev. Joseph Durant Cooper Wilson and Sara Emily Prentiss Wilson, Jack was the youngest of five children. He grew up in LaGrange, Georgia during the Great Depression. With pride, he remembered attending services performed by his father, an Episcopal priest, at the Warm Springs Chapel, for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Jack, like his parents and siblings, was enthusiastic in his academic and social pursuits. He lettered in football in High School, and was a Boy Scout, earning the highest rank attainable in scouting: Eagle Scout with bronze, silver and gold palms. He attended Emory University on a partial scholarship supplemented by various jobs including running a laundry business with his brother, Joe. Upon graduation, Jack attended the Medical College of Georgia. Again, demonstrating his industrious nature, he held down several jobs including working nights at the Lenwood Insane Asylum, an experience which he would recall in vivid detail for years. Jack graduated from MCG in 1947 after being inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary society. Upon completion of his Board Exams in 1954, Dr. Wilson was awarded his certification as a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery. A veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, Dr. Wilson served as Captain in the Army Medical and Surgical Corps. After leaving the Army, he entered private practice in general surgery, with an emphasis in surgical oncology, at Georgia Baptist Hospital (now WellStar Atlanta Medical Center), and also served on the staffs of several other hospitals including Grady Memorial Hospital, Crawford Long Hospital, Piedmont Hospital, and Northside Hospital. At Georgia Baptist, he founded the Surgical Residency Training Program and served as its Director from 1958 to 1974. He taught hundreds of residents in surgery over his 46-year tenure, including two of his four sons. Retiring from clinical practice in 1997, he continued to teach residents until 2008. Dr. Wilson was a leader in many medical organizations including the Georgia Surgical Society, the American College of Surgeons, the Southern Society of Clinical Surgeons, and the Southern Surgical Association, to name a few. In addition, he served in several leadership roles at the American Cancer Society, was Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Georgia Baptist Hospital, and Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Cancer for the State of Georgia. Dr. Wilson held many academic and teaching appointments during his career, including Clinical Professor of Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, and Director of the Sheffield Clinic. A well-published author and contributor of case reports in numerous surgical journals, he was a self-taught medical illustrator, who included his own illustrations with his journal articles. Dr. Wilson received many honors and awards over his lifetime, but two stand out as epitomizing his contributions to patient care and his training of future surgeons. In 1990, the John Page Wilson Attending Surgeon of the Year Award was established at Georgia Baptist Medical Center to recognize those attending surgeons on staff who made the greatest contribution to resident surgeons’ training as voted by those residents. The second was the dedication in 1996 of the John Page Wilson Surgical Wing at Georgia Baptist Medical Center. Despite his many hours at work, he found time for special hobbies including master gardening and beekeeping. He was a skilled tennis player who enjoyed playing with friends at the Cherokee Town Club, of which he was a founding member. In addition, he began sport sky diving, and earned his Jump Masters certification after completing over two hundred jumps. In later years, he swam laps daily, and at age 90, could still swim the length of an Olympic-size pool underwater with a single breath. His love of literature was also a life-long pursuit; he spontaneously recited poems with enthusiasm and wrote poetry of his own. He was also an accomplished amateur photographer. After retirement, Jack and Diana settled on a small horse farm just south of Atlanta in rural Chattahoochee Hills. He became very engaged in the community where he enjoyed the support of many friends. In every way imaginable, Dr. John Page Wilson II was a Renaissance man and humanitarian. He will be greatly missed by all the many people whose lives he touched. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Fairburn, 23 Malone St. SE Fairburn, GA 30213, with Rev. Dr. Roy Godwin officiating. A reception will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Chattahoochee Hills Parks. Made check payable to Chattahoochee Hills Parks with "In memory of Jack Wilson" in the memo line and mail to 6505 Rico Rd., Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268.

Dr. John Page Wilson

July 3, 1926 - July 3, 2016