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2011 SESSION


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 59
Celebrating the life of Dr. William Otey McCabe, Jr.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 21, 2011

 

WHEREAS, William Otey McCabe, Jr., M.D., a beloved family physician who served Bedford County residents for decades, died on August 31, 2010; and

WHEREAS, born in 1931 to country doctor, William O. McCabe, Sr., and Lola Weeks McCabe, William McCabe lost his father at a young age and grew up, along with his brother, on the family farm in Thaxton, where he first developed his lifelong interest in livestock; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from Montvale High School, William McCabe earned an undergraduate degree from Randolph-Macon College and then received a medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, after completing his internship, Dr. McCabe proudly served for two years in the Army Medical Corps, where he was assigned to the Presidential Honor Guard at Fort Myer and had the unique opportunity to meet numerous dignitaries, including Winston Churchill; and

WHEREAS, upon his return to Bedford County, Dr. McCabe established a practice in the small community of Forest, charging $3 for office visits and $4 for house calls, and, in the days before emergency medical services, using his own blue VW Beetle if necessary to transport patients to the hospital; and

WHEREAS, a gifted practitioner, Dr. McCabe saw a variety of illnesses and injuries, ranging from heart attacks to amputations to the common cold, while his ability to listen and down-to-earth practicality made him popular with patients; and

WHEREAS, as the community of Forest grew, so did Dr. McCabe’s practice, necessitating the hiring of additional staff, and Dr. McCabe recognized the need for a residency program in the newly created specialty of family medicine, which he established at his Forest office; and

WHEREAS, despite his busy professional schedule that included chief of staff duties at Lynchburg General Hospital, Dr. McCabe took a great interest in the local community and encouraged his fellow physicians to do the same; and

WHEREAS, Dr. McCabe founded a local bank and shopping center, ran for the Virginia Senate, and created, along with his wife, Annis, the Sedalia Center, which promotes the cultural arts in Bedford County; and

WHEREAS, in his free time, Dr. McCabe raised cattle, played and listened to Bluegrass music, and served his fellow members at Main Street United Methodist Church; and

WHEREAS, a skilled healer with a compassionate heart, Dr. McCabe touched the lives of his countless patients, his fellow physicians, and the residents of Bedford County over the course of his long and successful career, leaving behind an enduring legacy for others to emulate; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his son, Stuart, William McCabe will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 56 years, Annis; surviving children Will, Tom, Gin, and Sarah and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and admirers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of a beloved physician and community supporter, William Otey McCabe, Jr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of William Otey McCabe, Jr., as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.