George R Mayfield

Dr. George Mayfield George Radford Mayfield, Jr., M.D., 76, retired pathologist, longtime member of the staff of Maury Regional Hospital, and resident of Sunnyside Drive, died Wednesday at Life Care Center. A memorial service will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Bill Williamson, Rev. Steve Thomas and Rev. Maggie Beamguard officiating. The family will visit with friends Friday from 4:00 - 7:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 801 South High Street, Columbia, TN 38401; Tennessee Ornithological Society, c/o Chris Sloan, Treasurer, 5224 Hicks Road, Nashville, TN 37221; or University School of Nashville, 2000 Edgehill Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. The Davidson County native was the son of the late Professor George Radford Mayfield, Sr. and Lillie Hasslock Mayfield, a longtime high school Biology teacher. Dr. Mayfield entered Peabody Demonstration School in first grade and graduated in 1944 as president of his class. He then entered Vanderbilt University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1950. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa honorary fraternities. His college career was interrupted by two years service in the U. S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in First Calvary Division Artillery in Japan. In 1950 he entered Vanderbilt Medical School, graduating in 1954, where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary society. Dr. Mayfield took a rotating internship at King County Hospital in Seattle, then one year of pathology training at Seattle Veterans Hospital in 1955. In 1956 he returned to Vanderbilt for further pathology training. In 1957 he continued his pathology training at Charleston Memorial Hospital in West Virginia. While there, he met and married Cleo Gillund Mayfield. In July 1960 Dr. Mayfield became director of laboratories at Maury County Hospital in Columbia where he was the first resident pathologist. He served several hospitals in Middle Tennessee, piloting his own airplane. During his career he served as a delegate to the College of American Pathologists, President of American Pathology Foundation, delegate from Maury County to the Tennessee Medical Association and served on its hospital committee for many years. Dr. Mayfield had an abiding interest in church choral music. He became a tenor soloist at West End Methodist Church in Nashville. He held similar positions in Seattle in 1955. On arriving in Columbia, he organized and directed The Columbia Choral Society. He was First Presbyterian Church choir director for twenty years until his wife Cleo took the position after he suffered a serious accident in 1980. His father, a founder of Tennessee Ornithological Society, inspired a life-long interest in bird study and conservation. Dr. Mayfield served as State President of Tennessee Ornithological Society from 1968 - 1970. He also served as Maury County TOS Chapter President for many terms. In 2002 the chapter was renamed the Mayfield-Gray Chapter in honor of Dr. Mayfield and Dr. Dan Gray. He received the Distinguished Service Award from Tennessee Ornithological Society, as well as Honorary Lifetime Membership in the organization. He became a master bird bander in 1978. Dr. Mayfield was very active politically and in community affairs. He was a member of the Tennessee Conservation Commission and was a staunch defender of environmental causes. He wrote many letters of concern to politicians at all levels. In short, he loved the outdoors and spent many of his healthy days in the outdoors with his family and friends. He particularly loved the warblers of Tennessee and spent many days working on locating and showing others these beautiful jewels of nature. Among his numerous interests, Dr. Mayfield was a very knowledgeable historian and world traveler. A great Latin scholar and very proficient in several languages, including German, he used his linguistic skills serving as Tour Guide for several years throughout Europe. Survivors include his wife, Cleo Gillund Mayfield of Columbia; two sons, G. Rad (Kelli) Mayfield, III of Ellenboro, North Carolina; Mark H. Mayfield (Carolyn Ferguson) of Manhattan, Kansas; one daughter, Rebecca (Kris) Pearson of Hollister, California; and six grandchildren, Lillie Mayfield, Auralee Mayfield, Clara Mayfield, Helen Mayfield, Andrew Pearson, and Julia Pearson. Honorary pallbearers will be past and present members of First Presbyterian Church Choir, Kenneth Brinkley, Stephen Brinkley, Mary Dale, Beverly Douglas, Tom Edwards, Dr. George Fiedler, Dr. & Mrs. William Fuqua, Gaither Gray, Dick Green, Dr. Valton Harwell, Gary Herrmann, Dr. Houston Jameson, Dr. William Jernigan, Cal Kibbons, Dr. Ralph Kustoff, David Locke, Bedford Lockridge, Mary Lyles, Donald Marshall, Robert McKnight, Murray Miles, Alvin Moore, Dr. B. I. Naddy, Harold Pryor, Dr. Taylor Rayburn, Campbell Ridley, Jr., Ron Rogers, Captain Edward Sanders, USN, Retired, John Satterwhite, Jr., Ingrid Shapiro, Larry Thomas, Sr., Nancy Thomas, Tommy Vann, Dr. Charles Wendt, Dr. Nat Winston, Dr. James Wiseman, Wanda Turner, Dr. Lawrence Nickell, and Wilmoth Foreman.