James Harold Growdon Jr., M.D.

James Harold Growdon, M.D. "It has been my privilege to have been an OB/GYN Physician for the last 40 years in Nashville rendering service to such wonderful patients." - Dr. James Harold (Jim) Growdon, of Brentwood, died Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville, after a heroic effort to overcome esophagogastric cancer. Son of the late James Harold and Mary Louise (Smith) Growdon of Little Rock, and brother to his late sister, Judith Anne "Judy" Growdon, also of Little Rock, he is survived by his devoted wife, Laura Margaret Rogers Growdon and son, Robert William "Will" Growdon of Brentwood. Also left to mourn his untimely death are his adult son and daughter, James Fletcher Growdon and wife, Molly, of Philadelphia, and Robyn Renae Growdon of Nashville; and his brother, William Arthur Growdon, M.D. and his wife, Karen Growdon, Atty., of Pacific Palisades, Calif.; and his sister, Mary Louise (husband Tom) Peterson of Ailey, Ga. Other survivors of this gifted teacher and dedicated healer of thousands of patients as well as coveted friend to all who knew him, are his five adorable grandchildren, Rachel, Andrew, Peter, Rowan and Rebecca (children of son, James Fletcher); and his cousins, John Herbert Growdon, M.D., of Chestnut Hill, Mass., Carol Bliss (husband Dick) of Shawnee Mission, Kan., and Campbell Griffin, Atty., (wife Margaret) of Houston, Texas. He also will be sorely missed by his much-loved nieces and nephews. Dr. Growdon was born Aug. 12, 1944, in St. Louis, Mo., but spent most of his young life in Little Rock, Ark. There he earned his Eagle Scout badge at age 16. He was selected to give the commencement address at Hall High School from which he graduated with highest honors. He then moved to Nashville as he began his long and distinguished career in medicine. Upon graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude in a three-year accelerated program at Vanderbilt University, he was awarded the Honorary Academic Justin Potter Scholarship to Vanderbilt Medical School. During his fourth year there, he traveled to Stockholm, Sweden where he studied oncology at the Karol Linsky Institute. He later went on tour to Brazil with Project Hope, a floating hospital (the SS Hope) staffed with medical personnel. After completion of his first year resident surgical program at Vanderbilt, he joined the OB/GYN program where he was appointed a clinical professorship and subsequently served as Chief of OB/GYN at General Hospital in Nashville. Scores of practicing OB/GYNs today attest to his extraordinary talent as a teacher. For him, teaching was a joy. After completing his service there, he again joined the Vanderbilt Medical Hospital as Chief of Staff for the Vanderbilt Dept. of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Growdon wrote many important research papers both individually as well as in collaboration with several distinguished colleagues. Together with Dr. Frank H. Boehm, Vice-Chairman of Vanderbilt's OB/GYN department, he traveled throughout Tennessee teaching doctors new techniques of electronic fetal monitoring which contributed to an increase in healthy pregnancies and births. In 1982, he established a private practice, Growdon-Van Hooydonk, in which the focus was "the provision of excellence in women's health and wellness to each and every patient." It later became Growdon, Van Hooydonk, Bressman, Adkins, P.C. After additional doctors, practitioners and staff were added, the practice was renamed Doctors For Women. This highly respected practice is presently a part of Tennessee Women's Care. It is estimated that during his 40-year career in Nashville he delivered over 10,000 babies as well as served other obstetric and gynecological needs of families throughout the Middle Tennessee area. He was twice awarded both the "Patients' Choice Award" and the "Compassionate Doctor Recognition Award." Among the many affiliations Dr. Growdon enjoyed with various medical and philanthropic organizations were: the Nashville Academy of Medicine, The Lonnie Burnett Society, AOA (Alpha Omega Alpha, an honorary medical society), the Camby Robinson Society; and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. During his time in Tennessee, he served on the board of deacons at Nashville's Grace Presbyterian Church and was named elder at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church. An avid reader, he particularly enjoyed American presidential history. Among the many books he read several times and were of much inspiration to him were, A Course in Miracles, and Book I of Conversations with God. With the USAF Reserve in the years 1970-1975, Dr. Growdon spent one weekend per month ministering to the needs of female personnel and military wives at Berry Field Air Force Base in Nashville and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. After he resigned his staff position at Baptist Hospital because of his illness, the executive committee, in a moving letter which lauded his amazing career and recognized his immaculate service to Baptist Hospital, assigned him honorary status as a continuing member of the staff. A memorial service will be conducted at First Presbyterian Church, 4815 Franklin Pike, in Nashville on Saturday, August 3, at 2:30 p.m. Family and friends are cordially invited to a reception following the service at the church. In lieu of flowers and gifts of food, the family respectfully requests that contributions be directed to the James H. Growdon Jr., M.D. Memorial Fund, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, suite 400, Nashville, Tenn. 37215 (888-540-5200 or 615-321-4939), www.cfmt.org.