Dr. Joseph Perry Rowland

A memorial service for Dr. Joseph Perry Rowland will be held on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Fellowship Bible Church* with a visitation/reception following. Dr. Eugene Brandt, Dr. Paul Clayton, Reverend Randy Pierson and Reverend Will Chenault will be officiating.

Dr. Rowland went to be with the Lord he loved on November 13, 2018 after a long, fulfilled life.

He was born on November 19, 1933 in Greenville, North Carolina. He is preceded in death by his parents Mr. and Mrs. S.L. Rowland and two sisters-Helen Ingram and Doris Wallace, both of Raleigh, North Carolina.

After attending East Carolina State and Duke University, Dr. Rowland traveled to Memphis, Tennessee on a Greyhound bus one January night in 1953 to attend medical school. He graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical School in 1959 and trained under Dr. Eustace Semmes of Semmes Murphey Clinic. During his early medical career, he served as a medical officer in the Navy on the U.S.S. Intrepid. He received his neurosurgical board certification in 1970, and he served on several neurological boards. He was Chairman of the Board of Semmes Murphey (Jackson, Tennessee location) and was a member of the Congress of Neurosurgery (Host Committee Chairman), the Harvey Cushing Society, the Southern Neurological Association and the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. He spent 43 years of a 54 year career in neurosurgery in Jackson after opening a satellite office of Semmes Murphey there. The satellite office was created out of Dr. Rowland’s great concern for people and their added stress of travel and unfamiliar surroundings when facing surgery. When he opened this office, he located it behind Jackson Madison County General Hospital so that patients and their families would have comprehensive care for both office visits and surgery. At the beginning of his practice, he trained all of the staff and nurses at Jackson Madison County General Hospital in that specialty. Upon retirement, he was a member of West Tennessee Healthcare Neurosurgical division.

He met and married Sarah (Sally) Kathrine Council in Memphis, Tennessee and became the proud father of Kathrine Nicole Jones (Brad) of Memphis; Sarah Alicia “Honey” Wage (Robert) of Jackson, Tennessee, Dr. Joseph Perry Rowland, Jr. (Kelley) of Memphis, Tennessee; and Dr. Christopher Council Rowland (Stephan) of Memphis, Tennessee. To his family, he will always be “Doc”, the loving, attentive grandfather of his eight grandchildren: Cole and Taylor Wage of Jackson, Tennessee, Mary Virginia and Meredith Rowland of Memphis, Tennessee, and Phebe, Council, Sarah Elizabeth and Meriel Rowland of Memphis, Tennessee.

Doc was happiest helping people, working as an avid gardener/landscaper in his gardens and yard and relaxing with his pipe on the front porch swing. He enjoyed and appreciated hunting for antiques and Lincoln memorabilia. He and his wife Sally loved to have their children and grandchildren at home whenever possible, and they had family camp and holidays often in their home.

He also had five rules he loved to share with others-Rowland’s Rules-that he embraced: God loves you; You are only half as good as you think you are; You own nothing, you only borrow it for a short time; Always thank people for their kindness; and Your wife is always right!

His loving family will always remember him for the wonderful legacy he leaves to us. Dr. Rowland lived out his Christian faith. Many times he would sing hymns in surgery or keep watch at the bedside of patients. He helped to establish a dental clinic in the Dominican Republic, and he always had an open hand and heart for those around him. He was recognized for his giving spirit as the recipient of the 2016 Dream Center Giving Award and the 2017 West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation Science Award. He also loved the Jackson arts community, supporting the Jackson Arts Council and the Jackson Chorale Society, and serving as a member of the Legacy Circle of the Jackson Symphony.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions please be sent to one of Dr. Rowland’s favorite charities: RIFA, the Care Center, the Salvation Army, Youth Town, Fellowship Bible Church, Hands Up and the Dream Center.

*Services held at Fellowship Bible Church, 141 Pleasant Plains Drive, Jackson, Tennessee 38305.