Dr. Willard Henry Boggan, Jr.

Dr. Willard Boggan was born October 24th, l921 in Memphis, TN. His parents were Willard Henry Boggan, Sr. and Ann Lyde Stevenson. Dr. Boggan's family moved to MS. He graduated from Clinton High School where he was Student Body President. During high school he played football, baseball, track, tennis and golf. Upon graduation, he went to Mississippi College, graduated with honors, lettered in 4 sports, and was quarterback of the football team. He had a fellowship in biology and was named an Outstanding Fellow.

After college, Willard enrolled in medical school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis and entered the US Navy Reserves during World War II. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Kennedy Teaching Hospital in Memphis and was called to active duty during the Korean War.

Dr. Boggan practiced medicine for 47 years. He was an Internal Medicine doctor with a subspecialty in cardiology. He was published in numerous medical journals through the years. He was elected a Fellow of the American College of Physicians in 1956 and was a Professor of Medicine at the University Medical Center in Jackson for 35 years. He helped found Doctor's, River Oaks and Charter Hospitals and served as Chief of Staff at Doctors and River Oaks Hospitals. It is said that he had the largest practice of any doctor in Jackson, MS.

Dr. Boggan was known by his family and his legions of patients to be compassionate, attentive, skilled and extremely hard working. In his work, his number one goal was to take care of his patients. If they couldn't afford care he would still take care of them. His family remembers having a continuous supply of sweet potatoes, homegrown tomatoes, venison, collard greens, black eyed peas and watermelons from his patients who didn't have money and offered food instead. Dr. Boggan was on call 24 hours a day. He made house calls and did personal rounds every day/night, except on Thursday afternoons when he played golf. With him, it was never about the money; it was always about the people. He was a true caregiver and was a blessing to so many people; family, patients, and friends.He loved to hunt, play golf and tennis. Anyone who engaged in these sports with him knew what it felt like to lose. He was a crack shot with a shotgun (didn't miss) and was a matchless competitor on the golf course or tennis courts as many poor souls would attest. He played in the Senior Olympics for tennis doubles when he was in his 80's and came within one game of winning the title against much younger players. He said he would have won, if his partner, "a youngster in his 60's," had played more competently.

Finally, if ever there was a man who loved a woman, Willard was that man. He said so many times, my last words will be, "I love my Lottie." On his tombstone he asked for the inscription, "he married the girl of his dreams."