John Harris Cathcart, Jr. ’53

John Harris Cathcart, Jr. ’53, resident of 1110 Marshall Road, Greenwood, formerly of Gaffney, husband of Elizabeth Richardson “Betsy” Cathcart died Sunday, August 25, 2013 at his home.
Born in Gaffney, SC, August 20, 1931, he was a son of the late Dr. John Harris, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Coan Cathcart. A graduate of Darlington School in Rome, GA, Dr. Cathcart received a BS degree from Davidson College in 1953. Upon graduation, he served in the US Army as a Lieutenant in the Infantry. He later received his doctorate from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Cathcart served his residency at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He practiced Ob-Gyn in Gaffney for thirty-five years and delivered more than four thousand babies. After retiring from his practice on May 1, 2001, Dr. Cathcart continued to serve the Cherokee County and Union County Mental Health Centers as a consulting physician until 2011.
Dr. Cathcart was a member of the Gaffney Rotary Club, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was also a member of Crustbreakers and had served as a member of the Cherokee County District One School Board of Trustees for eight years, four of those as chairman. He served on the Board of Director’s for the Bank of Gaffney and First Piedmont Federal Savings and Loan Association. Active with the Chamber of Commerce, he also served as chairman of the Cherokee County Health Policy and Planning Council and the Cherokee County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Dr. Cathcart was also very active in many other cultural and civic endeavors in Gaffney and had served on many various medical boards and associations. He enjoyed traveling and attending painting workshops with his wife, Betsy. He loved spending time at his home in Pawleys Island with family and friends. Dr. Cathcart was a member of Limestone Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder and Sunday School Teacher for many years. Surviving in addition to his wife of fifty-three years of the home are two sons, Dr. John H. Cathcart, III and wife Lynn of Greenwood and Richard Charles Richardson Cathcart of West Columbia; one daughter, Camilla Cathcart McDevitt and husband Chuck of Greenwood; eight grandchildren, John Harris Cathcart, IV, Manning Richardson Cathcart, Richard Charles Richardson Cathcart, Jr., Eliza Lindsay Cathcart, Katherine Richardson McDevitt, Samuel Cathcart McDevitt, Joshua Michael McDevitt and Justin Ryan McDevitt and wife Leann; sister, Marion Cathcart Waters and husband David of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.; brother-in-law, Col. L. Ralph Livingston of Birmingham, Alabama; and a host of beloved nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be conducted Saturday at 2:00 PM at Limestone Presbyterian Church in Gaffney, with Reverend Chris Herrin officiating. Private inurnment will be in the church columbarium. The family will receive friends Saturday immediately following the service in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to Limestone Presbyterian Church 101 East Jefferies Street, Gaffney, SC 29340. For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com. Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Cathcart family. Published in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal from 8/30/2013 – 8/31/2013.