Dr. Roland W. Chamblee, Sr.

Father, brother, son, husband, friend—many words can be used to describe Roland Wesley Chamblee, Sr. who passed away Thursday, September 23, 2010. Caring physician, passionate civil rights activist, faithful churchgoer, decorated war hero—nouns and adjectives that perhaps describe the man but don’t capture the essence of who he was. Roland Wesley Chamblee was born on November 23, 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia to Robert Wesley Chamblee and Ruth Edna Johnson Chamblee. He had an older sister Robert Lauren, older brother Edwin Leon and younger brother Alvin Del, all of whom preceded him in death. Although he was born in Atlanta, he lived most of his early life in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago in 1940 and in 1942 enlisted in the army where he served as a 1st Lieutenant, Corp of Engineers in European Theater Operations. In 1944 he was awarded a Purple Heart after being injured while disarming landmines in Normandy France shortly after D-Day. He returned to the states and completed his bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from Tennessee State University in 1949. While in Nashville, he met and married Dorothy Jones, a nursing student at Meharry Medical College in 1948. In 1949 he entered Meharry Medical College and received his MD in 1953. During his time in Nashville, the first three of his six children were born. Dr. Chamblee came to South Bend in 1953 to do an internship at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. He used to joke that he had only planned on staying in South Bend a year, but spent the remainder of his life here. He was licensed both in the state of Georgia and Indiana, first in general practice (1954-1978), then in family practice (since 1978) During his time in practice he delivered generations of babies, cared for people from all walks of life, and passionately defended the rights of all human beings to enjoy the promise of life and access to quality health care. In 1972, his passion to care for people drove him and his wife Dorothy and their two youngest children to leave the safety and security of the US to provide care for people in Uganda, East Africa at a time of great political unrest in that country. Villagers in the city of Nagalama, Uganda had such good care and word spread that people in the surrounding area would sometimes walk for many hours to see Dr. Chamblee. People were drawn to see a physician who would actually touch them. He treated malaria, tetanus, snake bites—he even performed dental work. When the family returned—a brief five months later, Dr. Chamblee had lost 31 pounds and suffered periodically from recurrent malaria. He nevertheless returned to a South Bend community that was grateful to have him back. Dr. Chamblee was deeply involved in too many professional, civic and religious organizations to list, however, a few notable ones include the presidencies of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), Urban League, United Negro Council and Catholic Social Service Board in the 1960’s. He attended the 1963 March on Washington with a delegation from South Bend. In 1965 he was appointed by Pope Paul VI as a member of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of St. Gregory the Great in recognition of personal character, reputation, and notable accomplishments. He was actively involved in the Notre Dame community from helping to recruit athletes to serving as Physician-in-Charge at Holy Cross House where he cared for priests and brothers. In 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the University of Notre Dame. He served on many medical and professional organizations, including the board of the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. However, he was perhaps most proud of his role as a co-founder and medical Director of the Chapin Street Clinic which is now known as the Sister Maura Brannick Health Center. Many wonderful things have been written about Dr. Chamblee over the past few days—stories about his civil rights activism, his years as a dedicated public servant, and listings of the various awards bestowed upon him. Equally or perhaps more important is the legacy he leaves as a husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by Donna Chamblee, his wife of seven years and two stepchildren. He also leaves behind his six children and their partners, 14 grandchildren and one great grandchild. These include Michaele Chamblee Christian and Alphonso Christian II of Washington, DC and their children Erica Chamblee (and her son Alexander Poole), Lindsey and Jessie Christian; Daryl A. and Sandy Head and their children Ryan and Karlyn Hackney and husband Alfred Head of Washington, DC; Roland, Jr. and Angie Chamblee and their children Lauren and Alan Chamblee of South Bend, IN; Alan and Myra Chamblee and their children Wesley, Amanda, and Mikaila Chamblee of South Bend; Marquita “Terry� Chamblee and her children Jared and Michal Jones and partner, Frances Kendall, from Albany, CA; Ruth Chamblee and husband Trevor Lee and their children Cameron and Justin Lee, of Silver Spring, MD; and stepdaughter and stepson Kathryn Caldwell and Kevin Caldwell, both of South Bend, IN. Dr. Chamblee was also brother-in-law to Rosa Chamblee, of St. Paul, MN; Janet Gordon, of St. Joseph MI, and Carol Creswell-Betsch of Nashville, TN. Dr. Chamblee's life touched so many causes and organizations—the Sister Maura Brannick Clinic in South Bend, Doctors without Borders, various civil rights organizations, educational institutions, and many others. If you feel so moved, please make a donation to the charity of your choice. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, September 28, 2010 and from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at Little Flower Catholic Church, 54191 Ironwood Road, South Bend, IN. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at Little Flower Catholic Church. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery. Kaniewski Funeral Home, South Bend, IN is handling arrangements. To send condolences, please visit, www.kaniewski.com.