John P. Heard MD

John Phinazee Heard, M.D. passed away November 14, 2013. He was born on June 8, 1924 in Forsyth, Georgia to Louise Phinazee and Charlie Frank Heard. Dr. Heard graduated from Mercer University and Emory University School of Medicine. Upon completion of a three-year-post graduate residency at Louisville General Hospital in Louisville, KY, Dr. Heard was called to serve in the U.S. Army in Korea as a surgeon. He worked in one of the innovative and new Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals better known as a MASH unit on which the famous TV series MASH was based. Dr. Heard returned from Korea with the rank of Major and completed his tour of duty at Fort Benning Army Hospital in the Department of Orthopedic and General Surgery.

Dr. Heard was at last able to fulfill his ambition to begin a family medicine practice when a colleague from Emory asked him to join his practice in Decatur, GA. Together they established the Decatur Clinic which provided a comprehensive around –the- clock service to their patients. Dr. Heard referred to himself as a country doctor because he practiced medicine the old-fashion way making his care and counsel available to his patients above and beyond the office visit including house calls. In 1987 he was named Georgia Family Physician of the year. After retirement from his clinical practice, Dr. Heard continued his medical profession as a consultant to Social Security.

During his 39 years of practice, Dr. Heard served as President of the Dekalb Medical Society, was a board member of the Medical Association of Georgia and was a founding board member of MAG Mutual Insurance Company. Additionally, Dr. Heard was an active Kiwanian, a board member of the Dekalb Chamber of Commerce and a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Decatur. Vitally interested in politics, he was a campaign manager for Congressman Ben Blackburn, the first Republican in memory to be elected from that district. For his many community activities he received the coveted Julius McCurdy Citizenship Award and the medical society’s Distinguished Service Award.

Exuberant in life, Dr. Heard had many and varied interests. As an instrument rated pilot, he enjoyed flying his family and friends all over the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean; an avid wine buff, he initiated wine-tasting gatherings for friends and neighbors; he cultivated gorgeous rose gardens wherever he lived; and always he was just before playing the best golf of his career.

Dr. Heard’s greatest achievement was his family. He was a devoted husband to his wife of sixty-six years and a loving father to all the children in his family.

Dr. Heard was preceded in death by his parents Louise Phinazee and Charlie Frank Heard and his brother Charles Frank Heard, Jr. of Macon GA. He is survived by his wife Ellen Heard, two sons and daughter, John P. Heard, Jr., James W. Heard, Susan Heard, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the building fund of Perimeter Church. A Celebration of Life will be held on November 25th at 2:00 P.M. at the Chapel of Perimeter Church.

Perimeter Church 9500 Medlock Bridge Road (GA 141) Johns Creek GA 30097 678.405.2000