Obit of the Day
Looking at the famous, infamous, not-so-famous, and unique lives that have shuffled off this mortal coil.
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Obit of the Day: World’s Oldest Physician
Although Dr. Leila Denmark comes to Obit of the Day because of her longevity - she died at the age of 114 - her accomplishments would have earned her a post if she had died at 64, 84, or 104. Dr. Denmark, who was the world’s fourth oldest person, was a legend in pediatric medicine and in the state of Georgia.
When Dr. Denmark was born it was still the 19th century and the biggest news event was the Spanish-American War. As an adult she taught high school science for two years before deciding to enter medical school. She graduated from the Medical School of Georgia in 1928 (Calvin Coolidge was president), only the third woman to earn her M.D. from the school. After becoming the first female resident at Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children* in Atlanta, she started a private practice from her home after her daughter was born.
Dr. Denmark saw thousands of children in her practice before she retired at the age of 103 - which made her the oldest practicing physician in the world at the time. During her seventy-plus years in medicine Dr. Denmark helped develop the whooping cough vaccine and authored a parenting book, Every Child Should Have a Chance. In 2002, Dr. Denmark Said It!: Advice for Mothers from America’s Most Experienced Pediatrician was published. Dr. Denmark, who was named Atlanta’s Woman of the Year in 1953, lived on her own until the age of 106.
Leila Denmark, age 114 years and 62 days, died in her daughter’s home in Athens, Georgia.
(Image is courtesy of Dr. Denmark’s website - yes, the woman who was born before the invention of radio had her own website - www.drleiladenmark.com)
*Egleston Hospital is now Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Obit of the Day: Last Surviving Veteran of World War I
Florence Green, the last surviving veteran of World War I died on Saturday, February 4, 2012 just 15 days short of her 111th birthday. Mrs. Green served as a member of the Women’s Royal Air Force, enlisting as a 17 year old in September 1918.
Mrs. Green served meals to other active duty servicemen in the RAF at bases in Marham and Narborough. After the war ended in November 1918 - just two months after her enlistment - she married and worked at a hotel in King’s Lynn.
She lived with her daughter, who is 90, and has a surviving son who is 85 and another daughter who is 76. She also leaves four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
(Image courtesy of btinternet.com)
The last surviving combat veteran of World War I, Claude Choules died in May 2011. Read the OOTD post here.
Obit of the Day: The World’s 4th Oldest Person
Delma Kollar was born on Halloween in 1897. That’s not a typo. William McKinley was President of the United States. She would live to see nineteen more. The airplane flew for the first time when she was five. When women were given the vote, she was 22 years old. Those eyes witnessed history in three different centuries. At the time of her death she was the fourth oldest person in the world. (The oldest is Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia. She’s 115.)
Mrs. Kollar is survived by one 87-year old son, six grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great grandchildren, and one great-great-great grandchild. For those doing the math that is five living generations at one time.
(Image is courtesy of grg.org)
Two other great supercentenarian posts from January: The World’s Oldest Leap Year Baby and The Oldest Sitting Judge in the U.S.
Obit of the Day: Oldest Sitting Judge in the U.S.
When Wesley Brown graduated from the University of Kansas in 1925, Calvin Coolidge was president. (He also studied under James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Seriously.)
When he passed the bar exam in 1933, Franklin Roosevelt was president.
When he was appointed a bankrupty judge in 1958, it was by Dwight Eisenhower.
When he was appointed a federal judge in 1963, it was by John F. Kennedy.
When he died, at the age of 104, Barack Obama was president.
Judge Brown, a liberal judge, oversaw cases that forbid the firing of a pregnant, single woman, allowed a girl to play high school golf, and awarded damages to underpaid African American rail workers. He had a full docket until he turned 100.
OOTD’s favorite Judge Brown quote from the wonderful obituary: “Actuarily, I don’t exist.” Supercentenarians have such a dry sense of humor.
(Image of Judge Brown putting on his robe on May 4, 2007. He turned 100 on June 22, 2007. Copyright of the Associated Press and courtesy of Kansas.com)
