Harry Karrick Daugherty M.D.

1930 - 2017

Harry Karrick Daugherty, M.D., 86, of Charlotte, lived a wonderful life of service to medicine, God, family and friends. After a two-decade long battle with cancer, he succumbed on Tuesday, July 4, 2017 at home. He was the son of the late Harry Russell Daugherty, M.D. and Ethel Karrick Daugherty.

He was born in Covington, Kentucky on September 11, 1930 and grew up in Florence, Kentucky. As a hardworking kid, he got his first job at the age of twelve across the river in Cincinnati working in a jewelry store. He also worked parking cars and as a janitor before entering college at the age of sixteen. He received his bachelor's degree in 1951 from the University of Kentucky, his master's degree in 1954 from Texas A&M and his MD degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1959. He spent the first part of his Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery residency in Houston, Texas with Michael Debakey and Denton Cooley and the later part in Charlotte, NC with Paul Sanger and Francis Robicsek and then joined their practice.

Soon after joining Sanger and Robicsek, Harry went to The Cleveland Clinic to learn the then newly developed coronary artery bypass grafting technique and bring the technique back to Charlotte. When Dr. Sanger died, Francis and Harry renamed the practice The Sanger Clinic in Dr. Sanger's honor. Harry was grateful to have the opportunity to perform the first two coronary bypasses in Western, North Carolina, to serve as co-surgeon on the first heart transplant performed in Charlotte (1-6-86) and the lead surgeon on the second heart transplant performed in Charlotte, to assist with the development of the local heart surgery program in Guatemala and Honduras and to serve for 17 years with the Air National Guard.

Prior to his retirement from medical practice in 1993, he served in various leadership positions with the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Carolinas Medical Center and Presbyterian Hospital, with the Heart Association of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, the Heineman Medical Research Center of Charlotte, the North Carolina Thoracic Society and Brevard College. He was a member of numerous medical societies including the American College of Surgeons, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Chest Physicians, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society for Vascular Surgery, the American College of Angiology, the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery, the Michael E. Debakey International Cardiology Society, the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgery Society as well as the Mecklenburg and North Carolina Medical Societies, the Charlotte Surgical Society, the N.C. Thoracic Society and N.C. Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.

More impressive than his accomplishments in medicine were his boundless energy, drive, generosity and devotion to his wife of sixty-two years, Margie, his children, his grandchildren, his extended family and friends. His extended family included not only relatives but also his Church family at Providence United Methodist Church, especially the men's Sunday School class where he was a member for almost fifty years. He served on various Church committees and on the Board of Trustees of Brevard College. Furthermore, he valued his network of friends at Southminster, Rotary and Quail Hollow County Club.

During his leisure time, he enjoyed international travel, reading, food, cars, golf, snow skiing, water skiing, boating, family dinners and spoiling his grandchildren. Harry is survived by his wife of 62 years, Marjorie Bailey Daugherty, daughter, Leslee K. Daugherty, and her husband, Roger A. Gilmartin, son, Harry K. Daugherty, Jr., M.D. and his wife, Lisa Dalton Daugherty, grandchildren, Matthew Daugherty Gilmartin, Jonathan Daugherty Gilmartin, Harry Dalton Daugherty and Grace Ann Daugherty, brother, J. F. Daugherty, M.D., brother-in-law, Robert Bailey, and wife, Sue Bailey, and many nieces and nephews.

A service to celebrate his life will be held at Providence United Methodist Church on Saturday, July 8 at 2:00 pm. The family will greet friends immediately following the service in the Church atrium and also in Great Room B at Southminster, on Saturday, July 8 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Interment will be private.

Memorials may be made to Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC, 28211, Southminster Community Fund, 8919 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28210 or the Heineman Foundation of Charlotte, 1001 Blythe Blvd., Suite 604, Charlotte, NC, 28203.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth Poe Funeral & Cremation Services, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204. Online condolences at www.kennethpoeservices.com. Phone 704-641-7606.