Thomas Mallory

1939 - 2019

Mallory, Thomas
1939 - 2019
Dr. Thomas Mallory, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, went home to be with the LORD he loved on May 1 in Loudonville, Ohio at the age of 80. A native of Hillsboro, Ohio and a Miami University scholar-athlete, Mallory lettered in football each of his four years in Oxford. After graduating in 1961, he entered The Ohio State University College of Medicine and met the love of his life, Kelly Smith, while a student there. They married on New Year's Eve, 1962, and so began their great adventure together. After graduating from medical school in 1965, Mallory completed his residency training in orthopaedic surgery at The Ohio State University and his fellowship training in hip surgery at Harvard Medical School. He also served as a teaching fellow at Tufts University and was a Reserve Officer in the 2291st Medical Corps from 1965-1974. Mallory performed the first total hip replacement in Columbus in 1971 and founded Joint Implant Surgeons the following year, where he served his patients faithfully as he influenced and inspired the next generation of orthopaedists for nearly 30 years. His boundless curiosity and innovation led to hundreds of scholarly publications as well as the co-design of a hip prosthesis that provided relief to thousands of patients around the world. Mallory cared about his patients far more than his reputation, and his willingness to be brutally honest about his failures fueled his commitment to patient care and his endless search for better outcomes. He envisioned an orthopaedic surgery center that would embody this commitment by continually developing methodologies that allowed for ever-greater efficiencies in both the operating room and post-operative care. Put into practice, these innovations eventually led to a national model for the patient care continuum and gave life to New Albany Surgical Hospital. His patients were of the utmost importance to him and he genuinely enjoyed the connections he made with them, embracing their stories and finding great personal enrichment through those relationships. Asked to return full-time to his beloved Ohio State, Mallory founded and was the first chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, where he held the Frank J. Kloenne Chair in Orthopaedics. During his time in this role, he led efforts to acquire what is now The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center East. A diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease in 2001 forced Mallory's retirement from surgery but did not slow his intellectual or physical vigor. He continued to exercise, read, write, think, question, learn and engage in life, and true to his character faced his diagnosis with the sharp mind that characterized his professional life, turning this challenge into a new opportunity to engage and serve others. Ever observant, Mallory noticed that exercise and diet had a profound impact on his well-being vis a vis his Parkinson's diagnosis. With this in mind, he encouraged, supported and helped to develop an exercise regimen specifically focused on patients with a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. Delay The Disease is now a part of OhioHealth and is globally recognized as the leading exercise program for individuals fighting Parkinson's Disease. In his retirement, Mallory missed the creative outlet of surgery and turned to painting. He unsurprisingly approached this with the same discipline and enthusiasm he gave to everything he did and found great joy in his newfound art. He said, "My discovery of painting has given me a true release from the role of surgeon in which I had been so utterly absorbed for so many years." A bonus - he was able to enjoy this alongside Kelly, an artist herself. An American-born Anglophile, Mallory had a deep appreciation of the British Empire. This appreciation expressed itself often through his wildly creative fashion choices, his choice of automobiles, his love of fox hunting and polo, and his stack of books to read – with Sir Winston Churchill a favorite. He was fortunate to travel widely, both professionally and personally, and found the world endlessly interesting. The author of countless professional papers, Mallory shared his personal story in his autobiography, The Man Behind the Mask, The Journey of an Orthopedic Surgeon. Mallory lived his life with all-out passion: for learning, physical activity, horses and the betterment of his fellow man, but most especially for his bride Kelly, his family and his Savior. His courage and faith in the LORD in his last difficult years was a witness and example to all who knew him. His hope was to finish well and he did just that. Mallory was preceded in death by his parents, Freda and Guy Mallory; his brother, William Mallory of Bloomington, IN; and niece Katherine Mallory of Loudonville, Ohio. He is survived by his wife Kelly, sons Scott (Christine), Thomas Jr. (Buck) (Katharine) and Christian (Tonya) as well as his grandchildren; Isaac, Noah, Thomas III (Clay), Peter, Caroline, Graham, Noel, and Phillip, and three great-grandchildren; Larissa, Alexa, and Hendrix. His brother Dr. David Mallory (Mary Jane) and sister-in-law Eleanor Mallory and many nieces and nephews also survive him. The family will receive visitors from 2-4 P.M. and 6-8 P.M. Friday, May 17, 2019 at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST CHAPEL, 1740 Zollinger Road, Upper Arlington. A service celebrating Mallory's life will be held at 10 A.M. Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Grace Polaris Church, 8225 Worthington-Galena Road, Westerville. A private burial will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education at Miami University (miamioh.edu/mwche or The Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education, 106 Pearson Hall, Oxford, OH 45056) or Pray for Columbus (prayforcolumbus.org). Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories or condolences.
"And now, listen to me carefully: let us proceed with vigor, enthusiasm and a sense of optimism."