Dr. John Barnwell "Jack" Nettles

Dr. John "Jack" Barnwell Nettles

At home and surrounded by his loving family, John "Jack" Barnwell Nettles quietly joined his Lord on March 10, 2021. He was born in Dover, NC, on May 19, 1922 to Reverend Stephen Abraham Nettles and Estelle Hendrix Nettles.

Jack graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1941. He was in his first year of medical school when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He enlisted in the Army, then graduated from medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1944 at the age of 22. After VE Day, Dr. Nettles was transferred to the United States Navy. He received his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois from 1947-1951. Prior to his residency Dr. Nettles spent a year as an American Cancer Society Fellow in pathology at the Medical College of Georgia. As a pathology fellow, Dr. Nettles worked on research with Dr. Edgar Pund and Dr. George Papanaicolau after whom the "Pap Smear" was named. He began his residency training at the University of Illinois after which time he was appointed to the faculty.

In 1957 Dr. Nettles moved to Arkansas where he joined the OB/GYN faculty at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He remained there until 1969 when he was asked to move to the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa where he consolidated the OB/GYN Residency Programs. He served as the first Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology where he taught many residents, delivered thousands of babies and provided the highest standard of medical care to thousands of women. He set an example of not only what it takes to be an exceptional physician, but he was the type of person who strived to be a person of integrity, kindness, compassion and humility. These attributes were always first on his mind.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Eunice Saugstad Nettles and siblings, Stephen Nettles, Lucian Nettles, Lib Medlin, Hendrix Nettles and Sara Nettles all of Columbia, SC and Margie Waddell of Lexington, SC.

Jack is survived by his wife, Sandra Williams Nettles of St. Louis, MO; his 3 children, Eric, Robert and John, Jr. (Elizabeth); 2 step children, Steven and Clayton (Desireé) Williams of St. Peters, MO; 4 grandchildren, Robyn Nettles Maupin (Joel) of Oklahoma City, OK and John Nettles III of Tulsa, Cody and Dillan Williams of St. Peters, MO; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A graveside funeral is planned in Columbia, SC. A Memorial Service will be held in Tulsa at a later date.

Contributions may be mailed to the Oklahoma School of Community Medicine at 4502 E. 41st St., Suite 3826, Tulsa, OK 74135-2512, (918) 660-3322, or the Assistance League of Tulsa, 5350 E. 31st St., Tulsa, OK 74135.