Category: 1945

January 2, 1924 – September 11, 2020

Dr. John Knox Burns, III was born in Gainesville, January 2, 1924. He was the son of Gladys Asbury Burns and Dr. John Knox Burns, Jr.

Dr. Burns attended Gainesville High School but ultimately graduated from Riverside Military Academy. Dr. Burns attended Davidson College for his undergraduate degree before attending the Medical College of Georgia, School of Medicine. He served in World War II in the Army specialized program for training and later served two years in the Navy, as the ship’s physician, during the Korean War on amphibious fleets.

Dr. Burns, a third generation physician, spent his thirty seven year medical career as an obstetrics and gynecology specialist in Gainesville. He was proud that he delivered over 3,000 babies! Dr. Burns treated his patients and staff as “family” and kept in touch with many, even after his retirement in 1993.  He was an Eagle Scout, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Georgia Medical Association, and a member of the Georgia Obstetrics and Gynecology Society. Dr. Burns also served two terms as chief of staff at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. He volunteered at Good News at Noon as a gynecologist for thirteen years, and was a proud member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

At First Presbyterian Church, Dr. Burns was active in several leadership roles through the years, including serving as a Deacon and an Elder.

Dr. Burns is preceded in death by his parents, his wife of fifty six years, Felicia Jackson Burns and his sister, Beverly Burns Ledaqkowski.

His greatest accomplishment was being a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend. He is survived by sons James Doss Burns of Fremont, Michigan, John Asbury Burns (Tina) of Gainesville, and daughter, Betsy Burns Sherry (Jeff) of Douglasville, Georgia. He was “Pops” to his eight grandchildren – Susan Burns Walker (Michael), John Knox Burns, IV (Mandy), Ryan James Burns, Grayson John Burns (Kimmy), John Dowling Marlow, Timothy Burns Marlow, William Randall Marlow, and Matthew Jackson Marlow. He is also survived by four great grandchildren, Christopher Ryan Burns, Mary Knox Walker, John Knox Burns V, and Mabel Breck Burns. Dr. Burns is survived by three first cousins, William Brantley Burns (Sandra), Robert Knox Burns and Barbara Burns Roper (Henry). Dr. Burns is also survived by Grace Dooley, our “amazing Grace”, a very special friend, a gift from God, and Dr. Burns’ caregiver during his later years.

Dr. John Burns was a Southern gentleman in every sense of the word. He was kind, courteous and honorable. He will be missed by many.

A family graveside service at Alta Vista Cemetery is scheduled for Saturday, September 19 at 1:00 pm. For those wishing to do so, in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Riverside Military Academy Scholarship Fund, 2001 Riverside Drive, Gainesville, Georgia 30501.

Those wishing to send online condolences to the family may do so at littledavenport.com.

Frank Edward (Dee) Dunn passed away in Wilmington, NC on August 19, 2020 at the Champions Assisted Living Center at the well-lived age of 97 years.

He was predeceased by his parents, Wallace Stanhope and Daca Davis Dunn, his first wife Corinna Bennett Dunn, his brother, Wallace Stanhope Dunn, Jr., and a nephew, Wallace Stanhope Dunn, III.

Dee is survived by his wife, Patricia Barber Dunn, two daughters, Deede Dunn Grainger (Ike) and Corinna Dunn Mann (Ted), as well as stepchildren, Susan Mebane Franco (Alan), Betsy Mebane Farmer (Eric), Patricia (Sissy) Mebane Schoettelkotte (Bill), William (Billy) Carter Mebane IV (Sarah), a nephew, Frank Harlowe Dunn and numerous grand and great-grandchildren.

Dee attended The McCallie School and Davidson College. His intense interest in aviation led him to become a Naval flight instructor at the Naval Air Station Pensacola during World War II.

He will be remembered in many ways – most importantly for his tremendous love for all his family and his gamesmanship in both golf and cards. He was blessed to have been able to see all his family members – children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – during the last few weeks of his life.

His family extends a sincere thank you to the staff at Champions for their care, kindness and support of Dee.

Memorials in his honor may be sent to Champions Assisted Living at The Davis Community, Attn: Vicki Rivenbark, 1011 Porters Neck Road, Wilmington, NC 28411.

Interment will be at the First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. Andrews Mortuary & Crematory is serving the family. Andrews Mortuary 1617 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28401

Frank Sims Key, Jr. of Florence died on Monday, August 12, 2019. He was 95. Frank was born on January 20, 1924, in Gastonia, N.C., the son of the late Frank Sims Key, Sr. and Rachel Auld Key.

After graduating from Florence High School, Frank attended Davidson College and graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology.

He served as a Naval Aviator during World War II. Upon his return to Florence, he joined his father in the roofing business for several years. In the early 1960s, he became a part of Sanborn Chase’s team at Vulcraft as an engineer.

Later, in 1966, he and two partners founded Socar, where he would work until his retirement in 2006. Frank was an excellent tennis player, a lover of automobiles, a great Sunday School teacher and a quiet mentor to many people. He and his wife, Peggy, and several other Christian friends started the East Florence Mission in the early 1970s and remain involved with that ministry to this day.

Frank is survived by his wife of 69 years, Peggy Elmore Key. In addition, there are four children: Randy (Gigi) Key of Florence, SC; Margaret (Ken) Charles of Florence, SC; Charlie (Marilyn) Key of Timmonsville, SC; and Pete (Katy) Key of James Island, SC. He is also survived by nine grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

A family burial will take place on Wednesday, directed by Waters-Powell Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the P. E. K. Foundation, Post Office Box 649, Florence, SC 29503.

 © Copyright 2019, Morning News, Florence, SC

Ralph W. Coonrad, M.D., revered and beloved orthopaedic surgeon and Professor Emeritus, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, died at the age of 95 on April 10, 2019, in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Coonrad or simply “Ralph”, “Rolf” or “Papa” as many of family, close friends and colleagues referred to him, leaves behind the legacy of a lifetime of major accomplishments in his profession, but beyond that and so near and dear to his heart, were the lifelong relationships he developed with so many and especially with his family whom he dearly loved.

He served as a devoted mentor to so many talented and aspiring surgeons and colleagues alike as the role model of a consummate physician in his compassionate care, grace and humility, and he loved every opportunity to broaden those relationships with the occasional fishing or hunting trip.

A Celebration of Life for Dr. Coonrad will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Friday, April 26, 2019 at 1:00 PM, with a reception to follow at Hope Valley Country Club. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Westminster Church.

In addition to his doctors and countless staff members at The Forest At Duke, Dr. Coonrad’s family wishes to express their profound gratitude to Maimouna Barrett for her exquisite and loving care.

Dr. Coonrad is survived by two daughters, Susan C. Cullen (Dennis) of Durham, North Carolina and Sally C. Carroll (David) of Charlottesville, Virginia, three grandchildren, Kevin W. Cullen (Holly) of Durham, North Carolina, M. Evelyn Carroll of Richmond, Virginia, and E. Ashley Carroll of Arlington, Virginia, and one great-grandchild, Grace V. Cullen of Durham, North Carolina.

He is predeceased by his cherished wife of 49 years, Dr. Evelyn V. Coonrad.

Dr. Coonrad was born in Tsingtao, China, the son of Presbyterian missionaries, on September 10, 1923. He attended the Pyengyang Foreign School in North Korea and the Stony Brook School in New York before matriculating to Davidson College, where he earned varsity letters in football, wrestling, track, and tennis.

Dr. Coonrad then served for three years as a naval ensign during World War II, graduating from Duke University School of Medicine (Alpha Omega Alpha) in 1947.

He completed a surgical internship and a residency in orthopaedics at Duke University Medical Center in 1953. His residency included a fellowship at the Warm Springs Foundation (founded in 1927 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt) where he gained invaluable experience performing tendon transfers in poliomyelitis patients, which inspired his life long passion for pediatric orthopaedics.

Following his residency, Dr. Coonrad was stationed at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas for two years where he served as a Captain in the United States Army and Chief of Orthopedics and Hand Surgery.

He operated on many US soldiers wounded during the Korean War, including one particular patient whose elbow, having been destroyed in combat, provided the inspiration for his future development of a total elbow joint replacement.

Dr. Coonrad returned to Durham in 1955 and entered the private practice of medicine. He was one of the founders of Triangle Orthopedic Associates, while simultaneously working throughout his career at Duke University Medical Center, first as an Assistant Clinical Professor, and later as an Associate Clinical Professor of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery.

He was an attending staff member of Watts Hospital in Durham, and later Durham Regional Hospital, where he served as President of the Staff. He also served as a consultant in orthopaedic surgery to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham, an Associate Clinical Professor at UNC Memorial Hospital, and for 35 years, as a consultant to the United States Army and Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

In addition to his full time practice, upon retirement of his mentor and cherished friend Dr. Lenox Baker, he became the medical director and chief surgeon of Lenox Baker Children’s Hospital at Duke, a position he held for 24 years.

Although Dr. Coonrad’s early surgical expertise was in surgery of the hand, he was also a pioneer in developing scoliosis surgery in North Carolina.

After training in the early 1960’s with Dr. Paul Harrington of the Baylor School of Medicine, Houston, Texas, he became the first orthopaedist in North Carolina to treat scoliosis with the newly designed Harrington rods, and he also developed a school screening program for scoliosis throughout the state.

Dr. Coonrad was an inventor and designer of many surgical instruments and devices, however, his most transformative design was for a total elbow joint replacement.

In 1972, working alone in his garage using cadaver bones, he designed an elbow joint by whittling models from wood. Dr. Coonrad then worked with the Zimmer Company to produce the prototype in titanium.

The “Coonrad Total Elbow”, and later the “Coonrad-Morrey Total Elbow System”, became the gold standard of elbow replacements for over 40 years.

Dr. Coonrad served as a member or chairman of numerous pivotal orthopaedics committees, including the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Shoulder and Elbow Society, Scoliosis Research Society, American Orthopaedic Society, and North Carolina Orthopaedic Association.

Dr. Coonrad was also the recipient of numerous academic, scientific and research awards, including recognition by the Governor’s Council as North Carolina’s Outstanding Physician in 1971 and by the North Carolina Orthopaedic Association as the Outstanding Orthopaedic Surgeon in 1996, as well as receiving the Duke Orthopaedic Residency Award for excellence in education and teaching in 1994, and the inaugural Duke Master Orthopaedics Award in 2017.

A lasting monument to Dr. Coonrad’s faith, energy and vision, and the cornerstone of his and his family’s life, is Durham’s Westminster Presbyterian Church. Dr. Coonrad and his wife Evelyn were founding members of the church, and are recorded in the church register as members #0001 and #0002. Dr. Coonrad served as a deacon and elder of the church and regularly attended service until only a few weeks prior to his death.

His proudest moment in a lifetime of honors and accolades was his 1974 designation as Durham Father of the Year.

The Coonrad family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, Durham, NC. For online condolences, please visit www.hallwynne.com – select obits.

Published in The News & Observer on Apr. 15, 2019