Dr. George Statham

News Obituary Article

MARIETTA: Dr. George Statham, pediatrician, pianist

By DERRICK HENRY

Decatur pediatrician Dr. George Statham treated Irish Gypsies in Stone Mountain and could entertain anyone on the piano.

He was an original partner in the Decatur Pediatric Group, working there from 1955 until his retirement in 1994.

He was especially known for his diagnostic prowess, said his former wife, author Frances Patton Statham of Kennesaw.

Once, Mrs. Statham said, he was treating a child with life-threatening breathing problems. "He thought about it, then asked if the family happened to live near a paint factory. It turned out they lived a mile away from one. They moved away, and the child had no problems after that."

George Wilkes Statham, 81, of Marietta, formerly of Decatur, diedof complications of viral encephalitis Thursday at Emory-Adventist Hospital. The body was donated to the Emory University School of Medicine. The memorial service will be 3 p.m. Sunday at Clairmont Presbyterian Church.

Early in his practice, Dr. Statham made house calls. Later he kept a home office where he could see patients after hours, said his office manager, Barbara Dasher of Decatur. "His patients really liked him because he was soft-spoken and very easygoing, with a dry wit and sense of humor that would surprise you," she said.

One of those patients was Barbara Powers of Atlanta, who was in Dr. Statham's care between the ages of 5 and 10. "He was a kind and gentle man who I was not afraid of going to as a child," Mrs. Powers said. "When I had three children, Dr. Statham was my first choice as a doctor for them. He was exceptional --- attentive and caring."

In the 1950s, Mrs. Statham said, he cared for the children of eight clans of Irish Gypsies who "came into Atlanta once a year in April to marry each other and bury their dead."

Dr. Statham studied piano at the University of Georgia with the legendary Hugh Hodgson and became proficient in the classics --- he particularly loved Chopin, Schumann and Rachmaninoff --- and Broadway show tunes.

"He'd go over once a week to one of the nursing homes and play a combination of popular music, Broadway and classical," Mrs. Statham recalled.

He played for functions of Clairmont Presbyterian Church and accompanied Mrs. Statham, a coloratura soprano, at banquets, garden club and neighborhood events and medical gatherings. "We took down the house with a takeoff on

'I Feel Pretty,' where I would wear a Groucho Marx nose and eyebrows," she said.

Survivors include a son, George W. Statham Jr. of Marietta; a daughter, Meredith Powers of Charlotte; and a granddaughter.

© 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution