Dr. Keith Legan

Dr. Keith Legan, 92, of Dyersburg, TN died Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at Jackson Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, TN. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Marcus Legan and Edith Luranda Blackburn, his daughter, Sandra Thompson, his grandson Brian Busch and his sister Wilda Billings.
He graduated from Kennett High School in 1950. He played trumpet in the high school band and played on the Kennett High school football, baseball and track team. He held the high jump record at Kennett High for 17 years. Dr. Legan attended the University of Missouri-Columbia majoring in chemistry and graduating in 1954. He went on to medical school at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He did internship and residency at several places including the University of Missouri, the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California and ultimately finishing his general surgery residency at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in Bronx, NY. Dr. Legan had a long military career as a physician serving initially in the Air Force in Waco, Texas, Oakland, California and Tainan, Taiwan. He left the Air Force and went into private practice in Kennett, Missouri from 1966 through 1980. After this he decided to continue military service with the US Navy. He served over the next 20 years at many bases and on many ships. His stations included Norfolk, VA, Jacksonville, FL, Bethesda, MD, Millington, TN, San Diego, CA, and Naples, Italy. He served on the USS Nimitz, USS Kennedy and USS Tarawa. He also served in the first gulf war, Operation Desert Storm. He attained the rank of Captain in the US Navy and received many awards for his service. He retired from the Navy and Medical practice in 2000 and moved to Dyersburg, TN in 2001 where he lived for the next 23 years.
He married his high school sweetheart, the former Marilyn Irene Glasgow of Kennett, Missouri in 1953 and they shared 69 years of marriage raising 4 children together. He and Marilyn also had 9 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Marilyn and Keith were passionate golfers and played courses all over the world. They made friends easily and were able to keep up with many of them over time with a steady stream of old friends paying them visits and paying visits in return. Keith loved to learn new things and became a licensed pilot and a certified scuba diver. He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Dyersburg, TN. He was also a member of the American Medical Association and the American College of Surgeons.
Dr Legan is survived by a son Mark Legan (Mary), two daughters, Kay Wheatley (Alvis), Laura Busch (Kent); 8 grandchildren, John Legan, Melissa Yeager, Alex Wheatley, William Thompson, Paul Legan, Ben Wheatley, Andrew Legan, Jess Thompson; 8 great grandchildren, Sandra Thompson, Lucas Yeager, Weston Yeager, Cyrus Wheatley, Gavin Busch, Anna Wheatley, Sloane Wheatley and Graham Wheatley.
A private family service is planned at the Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads, TN. The family request that any memorials be directed to St Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 https://www.stjude.org
We are privileged and honored to serve the family of Dr. Keith Legan. You may share your condolences and your memories with the family at www.curryfuneral.com.