George B. Higley Jr. MD

George B. Higley, Jr., M.D., 92, passed away peacefully at his home on January 15, 2025, after a long illness. He was born on September 9, 1932, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to George and Thoma Higley. The family moved to Memphis in 1943. George met his dear friend of 80 years, Ed Campbell, at Fairview Jr. High. The two went on to win the Team State and the Southern Prep Golf championships. They graduated medical school in the same class and spent decades practicing medicine and playing golf together. George graduated from Central High School in 1950. It was during his time at Central that he formed lifelong friendships with Hillman Robbins, Carl Langschmidt, Louis Britt, and JoAnn Bell Tabor. After high school, George attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville for pre-med studies, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He went on to medical school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, earning his M.D. in 1957. Following an internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, he completed his orthopedic residency at Campbell Clinic in 1961. In 1961, George began a partnership with his father, Dr. George B. Higley, Sr., which continued until 1977 when he opened his solo practice. In 1983, he moved his family to Blytheville, Arkansas, and returned to Memphis in 1992, where he taught Campbell Clinic residents at the VA Hospital until his retirement in 2004. George was a dedicated orthopedic surgeon and a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery and the Clinical Orthopedic Society. He was a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. An avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and UT football, George enjoyed playing golf and became known for his unique ability to throw clubs. In his own words, he wrote that his career was satisfactory, many would argue that he was far above satisfactory. He said the highlight was Crippled Children Service. He reflected that a plus was his absolute integrity, but a minus was his less than optimum personality, once correctly pegged as a "discriminating loner. He is survived by his beloved wife of over 50 years, Patricia Ann Coulston Higley; children Dan (Anne) Higley, Tom (Gayle) Higley, Bob Higley, and Laura (Tyler) Davis; and grandchildren Grace, Caroline, Spencer, and Parker Higley, and Riley and Katey Davis, who all affectionately called him "Grand Grump." He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Irene Higley, and his grandson John Winn Davis. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until his service begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made be to LeBonheur Children's Hospital (https://www.lebonheur.org/), Forrest Spence Fund (https://forrestspencefund.org/donate) John Winn Foundation (https://www.johnwinndavis.com/donate), or the church or charity of your choice.