Cary Grayson Suter

SUTER, Cary Grayson, MD, of Ivy, Va., died unexpectedly and painlessly from a cardiac arrest Monday, August 31, 2009. He was to celebrate his 90th birthday on October 9, 2009. He was born in Bridgewater, Va. to David Irenaeus Suter and Elizabeth M. Dundore Suter. Cary was raised in Ft. Defiance, Va. and graduated from Hampden-Sydney College and then the University of Virginia School of Medicine. While attending UVA, he met his wife, Anna Deane Carr, and they were married on his last day of medical school, May 3, 1947. His beloved "AD" predeceased Cary in April of 2006. Cary's medical training included internship in Birmingham, Ala., Internal Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, back to UVA for Psychiatry and Neurology, and finally the Mayo Clinic for Neurology and EEG. He was then recruited to the Medical College of Virginia in 1959 as a Professor of Neurology and became founding Chairman of the Department of Neurology. Alongside his medical practice, Cary developed a highly regarded training program and EEG/EMG Lab. In 1972, he launched the annual Hans Berger EEG/ Neurophysiology Symposium hosted to this day at MCV. He was a repeated recipient of Resident Teaching Awards and introduced the practice of audio-video taping patients with classic neurologic syndromes, creating an extensive video teaching library. He collaborated with specialists from around the country to establish criteria for diagnosing Brain Death and co-authored "The Atlas of EEG in Coma and Cerebral Death" in 1976. After his retirement as Professor Emeritus of Neurology, Cary presented his History of the Hans Berger Symposium at the 35th annual meeting in May of 2007. During his time in Richmond, Cary and his family were active members at St Matthew's Episcopal Church where he served on vestry. Later, he and AD were members at St Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Richmond. When they retired to Ivy in 2002, Cary and AD became members of St Paul's Ivy Episcopal Church. Throughout his life, Cary pursued his love of reading, especially the works of Thoreau, and of lively debate with one and all on any topic you dared choose. With chainsaw ever ready, Cary relished cutting firewood from his own properties, the logs destined for large roaring fires on the home hearth. He took delight in his flower and vegetable gardening, and in watching the birds at the numerous feeders he kept well stocked. Cary enjoyed all the bounties of Virginia's four seasons and was an authority on the mixing of a proper gin and tonic. He was blessed with an acute mind and sharp wit to the end of his days. Cary is survived by his son, Dr. Cary Carr Suter and daughter-in-law, Dr. Katherine Ganz, of Corrales, N.M.; his daughter, Deane Begiebing and son-in-law, Mark Begiebing, and grandson, Lyle Begiebing, of White Hall, Va.; sisters-in-law, Helen Suter and Tina Carr; nieces and nephews, David Suter, Rebecca Lindsay, Martha Livingston, Betty Feldman, Sarah Splaun, Diana Deane Carr, Linda Carr-Kraft, Cary Carr Cox, Martha Randolph Carr, and Dabney Jefferson Carr IV; and a devoted "daughter," Vere Brathwaite of Bridgetown, Barbados. The family thanks his physicians, especially Dr. William Hammond, and his in-home therapist, Becky Williams. Cary considered himself fortunate to remain at his Ivy residence in his later years, and would not have had this pleasure without the elder friendly customer service of area businesses and priceless dedication of those who took care of him, his home, and his garden. Special thanks to Hannah Price, Clasteen Gray, Ray and Edna Bishop, Beaver Runkle, and JB Runkle for their many years of kind service, and to neighbors, Zip and Alyson Maupin, and their children, Emily and Will.
A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, September 26, 2009 at St. Paul's Ivy Episcopal Church, with interment following in the churchyard. The family invites guests to gather at Cary's home afterwards to share and celebrate memories. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Thoreau Society, Cary G. Suter Memorial Fund, 55 Old Bedford Rd, Concord, MA 01742, or Hampden-Sydney College, The Bortz Library, HSC Box 7, 257 Via Sacra, Hampden-Sydney, Va. 23943. Friends and family can send condolences to www.hillandwood.com.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.