Dr. Homer David Hickey
1988
Dr.
Homer David Hickey, who as a physician, civic leader, and outdoors man made
countless contributions to the enhancement of this city's quality of life, died
December 29, 1988, in a Chattanooga hospital.
Dr. Hickey was the founding president of the Brainerd Kiwanis Club and founder
of the Brainerd Clinic on Brainerd Road, which he established in 1948 and
operated until his retirement in 1980. The clinic was the capstone of a
medical career here that spanned nearly 50 years from 1934, with the exception
of a four year tour of duty as a medical officer in General George Patton's
Third Army in Europe during World War II.
Born in Cherokee County, N.C., Dr. Hickey and his parents, the late William
Harrison and Laura Shearer Hickey, moved to Chattanooga when he was a young boy.
He graduated from Central High School in 1924 and attended Berea College in
Berea, Ky., before going on to graduate from the University of Tennessee at
Knoxville and the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences in
Memphis.
Upon receiving his M.D. degree in 1932, he returned to St. Joseph, MO, to serve
an internship and then to Wayne County Hospital in Detroit, Mich., to serve a
surgical residency.
Dr. Hickey began practicing in East Chattanooga in 1934 and joined Dr. J.
Hamilton Taylor in practice at the Medical Arts Building.
His wartime dream of building a clinic took shape in the spring of 1946 when he
began construction on the Brainerd Clinic. In addition to his busy
clinical practice, he also served on the staffs of Erlanger, Memorial and
Tri-County hospitals and was an active member of local, state, regional, and
national medical associations.
Dr. Hickey was charter and lifetime member of Brainerd Kiwanis club, which
honored him in 1982 by endowing the $50,000 H. David Hickey Surgical Research
Grant of the Chattanooga Surgical Foundation. Funds from this grant are awarded
to deserving area surgeons for research and development of new surgical methods.
He was named the Kiwanis Club's Distinguished Citizen of Chattanooga in 1981.
An active member of First Centenary United Methodist Church, Dr. Hickey had
served on the church's administrative board and was a member of the
Foster-Martin Sunday school class. He was also a member and past president
of the Wolftever Fishing Club.
Dr. Hickey was married to the former Marguerite Bacon, with whom he celebrated a
50th anniversary this past March 1 [1988]. Mrs. Hickey is well-known as a
regional historian and energetic volunteer in women's civic efforts.
Survivors also include his son, Dr. H. David Hickey, a urologist in Memphis; two
grandchildren, Kimberley Curlette Hickey and Jon Paul Dietrich Hickey, Memphis;
brother William T. Hickey, Chattanooga; sister, Roxie Hickey Suit, Miami, Fla.;
several nieces and nephews.
Chattanooga-News Free Press, Friday, December 30, 1988; Page B6.
[Grave side services were held in Forest Hills Cemetery]
Submitted by Mark Bennett
MrBnntt@aol.com