In Memoriam: 1940s
Notices sorted by graduation date
Gilbert S. “Gil” Campbell Jr. (Col ’43, Med ’46 L/M) of Little Rock, Arkansas, died Jan. 9, 2018. After entering Hampden-Sydney College at age 15, he transferred to UVA to earn his bachelor’s and medical degrees. He then attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned a master’s degree in physiology and a doctorate in surgery. After working as a basic sciences instructor and head of the experimental laboratory at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., he served as captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Japan and Korea, where he was known as a fearless and highly competent surgeon and earned two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He published prolifically, writing 19 papers by the end of 1954. At that time Dr. Campbell returned to the University of Minnesota where, in his first open-heart surgery, he pioneered the development of today’s oxygenator using two freshly cleansed dog’s lungs. From 1958 to 1965, he served as chief of surgery at the Oklahoma City Veterans Administration Hospital and chief of thoracic surgery at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, where he was one of four first-time faculty members to be named a Markle Scholar. He was part of the team that initiated the first open-heart surgery program and that performed the first successful open-heart surgical procedure in Oklahoma. In 1965, Dr. Campbell became a professor and chairman of the department of surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he served for 18 years and where he remained a professor emeritus until his retirement in 2000. His greatest joy was recruiting, training and mentoring many residents who went on to have successful medical careers of their own, mostly in Arkansas. He initiated the first thoracic surgery residency at the University of Arkansas and was inducted in 2004 into the inaugural class of the medical center’s hall of fame. Throughout his career, he received several honors, awards and appointments, including the Raven Society at UVA and Surgical Alumnus of the Year at the University of Minnesota, and he served in many leadership positions, including as president of the Halsted Society and first Vice President of the Southern Surgical Association. He was recognized by the Arkansas State Senate for his service and contributions in April 2015. He was known for his jokes, stories, witty one-liners and humility. In retirement, he spent time golfing with his basset hound, water skiing around Greers Ferry Lake and enjoying a drink of scotch and water with dear friends. He loved cheering on his beloved UVA Cavaliers, travelling to spend time with his children and grandchildren, playing the piano—sometimes even writing his own music—and singing along to his favorite songs. Survivors include six children, including Susan “Muffin” Campbell Smith (Col ’87 L/M) and John Gilbert Campbell (Col ’89); 11 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
Eugene A. “Pat” Hildreth Jr. (Med ’47) of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, died Jan. 5, 2018. After earning his M.D. at the University, he completed his internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital and was chief resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He spent two years in the Navy/CIA serving in East Asia, where he was the chief medical officer of a M.A.S.H. unit as well as the personal physician for Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. After his military service, Dr. Hildreth was a professor of clinical medicine, the head of allergy and immunology and special adviser to the dean at the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to become the director of the Reading Hospital and Medical Center Department of Medicine in Pennsylvania for 28 years while continuing to maintain an active medical practice. With a strong passion for academic medicine, teaching and the future of national health care, Dr. Hildreth served as chairman of both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Federated Council of Internal Medicine, and he was chairman of the board and president of the American College of Physicians, where he led health-care reform efforts. He was a co-author of the organization’s first paper describing the need for universal access to health care as well as the second edition of its Manual on Bioethics. He published more than 150 articles, editorials and chapters over the course of his career. Dr. Hildreth was elected to several medical organizations both in the United States and abroad. He was invited to testify before congressional committees in Washington, D.C., on subjects including bioethics, living wills and access to health care, and he was selected alongside former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford to join a national working group to address the issue of implementing the 25th Amendment in the case of a disabled president; the resulting monograph was used a model for other countries. After retirement, Dr. Hildreth and his wife pursued their many varied interests together, which included completing the Forestry Stewardship Program at Pennsylvania State University and involvement with the Berks County Conservation. They also enjoyed traveling and visited places ranging from Tuscany to Bhutan to Peru. Closer to home, they enjoyed canoeing in Minnesota and vacationing in the Adirondacks in New York. They especially loved opportunities to spend time with family. Survivors include four children, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Sue Lane Winstead (Nurs ’47, ’78 L/M) of Weems, Virginia, died Jan. 20, 2018.
Ben G. Nottingham (Col ’48, Grad ’50 L/M) of Raleigh, North Carolina, died Dec. 23, 2017. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years during World War II. Working for several business ventures of his uncle, A.E. Finley, Mr. Nottingham was the agribusiness manager of two cattle ranches and citrus groves in Florida before managing the College Inn restaurant in Raleigh for more than 20 years. He later ran a real estate business in Garner, North Carolina. He loved the outdoors, especially duck hunting and fishing, and loved spending time with his wife, Jean Ann, at the beach in Salter Path, North Carolina, and in Captiva Island, Florida. He served on the board of the A.E. Finley Foundation. Survivors include three sons and six grandchildren.