Wiley Kemp Livingston Sr.

Wiley Kemp Livingston, Sr., M.D. died peacefully at home on February 13, 2019. He was born March 21, 1921, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was preceded in death by his wife, Minnie Lee Barker Livingston, his parents, Dr. James A. Livingston and Hazel Wiley Livingston, his brother, James A. Livingston, Jr., and his sister, Alida Livingston Wilkinson. He attended Lakeview Elementary School, Ramsay High School (where he was President of the senior class), Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Michigan, where he received his A.B. degree and was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He attended the University of Alabama Medical School (President of Gorgas Medical Society) in Tuscaloosa for basic medical sciences and received his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (as did his father) where he was a member of Nu Sigma Nu medical fraternity. He interned at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and served his Ophthalmology Residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Livingston was certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and later a Life Member and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Livingston began the practice of ophthalmology with his father, Dr. James Livingston, Sr., in Birmingham. During the Korean Conflict he served as Chief (Captain), Eye Section, U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Following this, he returned to Birmingham where he practiced ophthalmology until his retirement in 1987. During his practice he served on the staffs of several area hospitals, including UAB, for a time as Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. In 1977 he served as a short-term missionary in the Kano Eye Hospital (Evangelical Churches of West Africa), Kano, Nigeria. He was a member of the Jefferson County Medical Society, Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the Birmingham Clinical Club, The Club, The Country Club of Birmingham, St. Andrews Society, Sons of the Revolution, and the Monday Group. He was also a past member of the Downtown Rotary Club and Rex Lake Sportsman Club. He was a long-time member of Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

Dr. Livingston is survived by three sons: Dr. Wiley Kemp Livingston, Jr., of Birmingham, Dr. David Barker Livingston, Blacksburg, Virginia, and John Hartridge Livingston, II (Connie) of Birmingham; his sister-in-law Margaret Gresham Livingston, brother-in-law Dr. Frank M. Barker, Jr., and many beloved nieces and nephews. He is also survived by six cherished grandchildren: William Brown Livingston, Ariana Shepherd Livingston, Mary Lee Bard Livingston, Alida Miller Livingston, all of Birmingham; Brianna Schoen of Abingdon, Virginia, and Bryce Fitzgerald (Alexandrea) of Knoxville, Tennessee.

The family wishes to express their love and deep gratitude to Betty Wilson, Shirley Parks, Adria Parks, Regina Bester, Rosetta Swann, Tiffany Percy, his good friend Eliud Saina, Beatrice Saina and Abraham Rutto for their professional, persistent, patient and loving care during the past several years. Also the family thanks the staff of Journey Hospice for their kind support.

The funeral service will be at 2:00 PM Saturday February 16 at Ridout’s Elmwood Chapel, 800 Dennison Avenue, SW. Visitation will be at Ridout’s Elmwood Chapel preceding the funeral at 1:00PM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsridoutselmwoodchapel.com for the Livingston family.