Charles Walker McCrary

Charles Walker McCrary died peacefully on August 16, 2024 at age 83.

For those of you who knew Charlie, you'll appreciate that he wrote his own obituary. This is not it.

Charlie, the son of the late William Witherspoon McCrary and Marjorie Walker McCrary, grew up in the small town of Lonoke, Arkansas. Charlie relished small-town life and loved sharing his extensive repertoire of stories, both funny and poignant, about growing up in Lonoke. He duck hunted before school, swam at the local fish hatchery and warmed the bench for the Lonoke Jackrabbit football team.

Charlie attended Southwestern College, now Rhodes, graduating in the class of 1963 with a B.A. in Biology and an associate degree in SAE. He graduated at the top of his class at UT's College of Dentistry and earned an MA in Pediatric Dentistry in 1971. He practiced pediatric dentistry for 40 years, and countless former patients attest that, while most people dread going to the dentist, they loved dental visits because of Dr. Charlie. He was known for going the extra mile for patients, rushing to his office for dental emergencies and examining the chipped teeth of neighborhood children on his front porch. He served his profession as President of the Memphis Dental Society in 2001, professor in UT's College of Dentistry and member of the ADA, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Tennessee Society of Pediatric Dentistry.

During his senior year in dental school, Charlie wooed fellow Rhodes alum, Janie Stone, with his small-town charm. They were married in 1967 and shared a lifetime of adventure with friends in Memphis and beyond. They hiked the Milford Track in New Zealand, the Pembrokeshire Coast in Wales and heli-hiked the trails of British Columbia, among others. Together, they visited 49 of the 50 states and traveled extensively, exploring such diverse locales as the Serengeti plains and the Amazonian jungle.

At heart, Charlie was an avid biologist, a gifted birder and lifetime lover of nature. Along with a dedicated group of birder friends and spouses, he reveled in the sight or call of a new bird. He relished passing this love to his grandchildren, teaching them to focus binoculars, peer through a microscope and scan the night sky. He was a life member of the TN Ornithological Society and the Wolf River Conservancy.

Charlie was a devoted Presbyterian, tracing his roots back to John Knox, and could be found every Sunday in "the McCrary pew" at Idlewild Presbyterian Church. At Idlewild, Charlie served as a ruling elder and trustee, chaired numerous church committees and was a founding member of the Timothy Class of "seekers." He volunteered for many years with Idlewild's More Than a Meal, at MIFA and at the Hospitality Hub, serving on its board as well as on the boards of the Pink Palace Museum and the Metal Museum. An avid reader, particularly of history, Charlie enjoyed membership in the Swamp Jackson Book Club and the Central Gardens men's book club.

Charlie was devoted to his family and treasured his time with them. He leaves his wife Janie, two children, Ellen McCrary Hainen (Mike) and Jonathan Walker McCrary (Jackie), as well as five greatly loved grandchildren, Will, Brooks and Eliza Hainen, and Bates and Griffin McCrary. He also leaves a beloved sister, Ann McSwain of Little Rock, AR.

Services will be held at Idlewild Church on Monday, August 26 at 11 am.

Memorials may be sent to Idlewild, MIFA, Rhodes College and the Metal Museum. Charlie has donated his body to the Medical Education and Research Institute.