Harold Engler

Physician AUGUSTA, Ga. - Harold Samuel Engler, M.D. died peacefully in his sleep during the early hours of Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2016. He was 93. Chubby, as he was affectionately known, was preceded in death by Josephine Rogers Engler and Kathleen Girdler Engler, and is survived by his sister, Martha Grobe Holley; his six children, Douglas Engler (Libby), Gay White (Drake), Julie Miles, Lou Larkin (Chris), Sam Engler, and Eben Engler; 12 grandchildren (John Engler, Elizabeth Beman, Sarah White, Julia White, Keith White, Tucker Miles, Sam Miles, Christopher Larkin, Morgan Larkin, Katie Larkin, Sam Engler, Josie Engler); and six great- grandchildren who knew and loved him as Papa Chubby. Born in Augusta, GA on January 10, 1923, the son of the late Sam Engler and Ida Mae Johnson Grobe, Chubby was a lifelong resident and dedicated community member of the city he called home. A graduate and Sheridan Sabre winner of the ROTC program at the Academy of Richmond Country, Chubby also attended Augusta College, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia before joining the Army Air Corps as a B-24 pilot in WWII, under the command of Gen. Claire Chenault. After the war, he entered the Medical College of Georgia in the class of 1950, and later served on the faculty in the Department of Surgery until 1970. The remainder of Dr. Engler's career was spent in private practice as a General Surgeon until his retirement in 2004. Fascinated to the end with the tremendous advances he was privileged to contribute to and witness through the years, Chubby was a member of the Georgia Surgical Society, the Bariatric Society, the MCG Board of Regents, the Moretz Society, and a volunteer camp doctor at Camp Sea Gull in NC for over 40 years. As an avid athlete, Chubby was a pitcher for local American Legion and minor league teams, and a lifelong fan of football, baseball, and tennis. His love of flying was rekindled later in life, and he was honored to serve on the Augusta Aviation Commission during recent projects at Daniel Field. His church memberships included First Baptist Church of Augusta and Church of the Good Shepherd, and he enjoyed his recent affiliation with the Kiwanis Club. In many ways, he was the archetype of the "greatest generation," a man who embraced every opportunity to serve his country and his fellow man. Known for his good humor and his competitive spirit, his children and their children will always remember him as a kind and patient patriarch whose passion for life will continue to inspire them to pursue their goals and live their own lives to the fullest. A service of remembrance will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 30, in the Chapel of Thomas Poteet & Son. Dr. Joe Bowden will officiate, and the family looks forward to celebrating the life and legacy of this amazing man with all who knew and loved him. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Medical College of Georgia Foundation, Inc., 545 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30901. Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com