Noble Thomson Macfarlane

MACFARLANE Noble Thomson, 82. Noble lived up to his name he had a quiet compassionate dignity and grace. He believed the true measure of a man was how he lived his life. He lived that principle every day and led by example always seeing and believing the best in everyone. Many know Noble as "Dr. Mac", their pediatrician. He joined the Lexington Clinic in 1956, as their twenty-second doctor, to start their pediatrics department. He spent the entirety of his career practicing medicine at the Clinic and contributing to the local community. He worked at Baby Health and Cardinal Hill for over twenty-five years. He became involved at the UK Medical School when it was five men and a red brick building and he served as Clinical Professor at the Medical School's Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine Depts. He continued his involvement at the Medical School after retirement serving on the Admissions Committee for 28 years. Noble held various volunteer positions throughout his career: State Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, President of St. Joseph Hospital Medical Staff and Cardinal Hill Medical Staff, and President of the Kentucky Pediatric Society. He took great pride in being part of the team that performed the first open heart surgery in Central KY fifty-years-ago. Noble, a graduate of Dartmouth College and University of Virginia Medical School, and served in the Navy in WWII. When he was 12-years-old he learned to play golf at summer camp and it became a lifelong passion. He was competitive and tenacious golfer who loved the sport and was always up for a game. He collapsed on the fifth-hole of the golf course from a hemorrhagic stroke and died on Sep 9, 2009. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years Claire (Zimmerman), his two sons and their families: Sandy and Christiana Macfarlane (Noble and Peter) of San Francisco, Duncan and Meredith Macfarlane (Duncan, Stuart, Christopher) of Charlottesville, VA and his two daughters and their families: Lindsay and Bernie Maurer (Zachary and Wyatt) of Boston, and Stuart and Rolf Gesen (Hollis, Hannah, Clark, Isabel) of Hopkinton, NH, a sister Sara Allen of Gilford NH, a sister-in-law Shirley Zimmerman of White Plains, NY and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of his life will be held Sun at 4:30pm at the Second Presbyterian Church. Private burial will be held later at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, OH. In lieu of flowers, the family hopes that you make a contribution in Noble's name to a charity of your choice to improve the lives of children. Arrangements by Kerr Brothers Main St.