William Nettles Wessinger MD

1947 - 2025

William Nettles Wessinger, MD passed away peacefully at home, under the care of Hospice Savannah, with his wife by his side on February 20, 2025, after an extended fight with liver cancer. He was born in Columbia, SC, on March 25, 1947 to James Bryson Wessinger and Eliza Nettles Wessinger.

Bill grew up in Columbia and graduated from Dreher High School in 1965. He attended The Citadel and graduated in 1969 with a major in Chemistry. He then attended the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). After graduating with his MD degree, Bill attended flight school at Fort Rucker to become a Flight Surgeon and was awarded the Army Flight Surgeon badge. From there, the Army sent him to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, holding the rank of Captain. After being honorably discharged, he was accepted to the Duke University School of Medicine to begin his residency in Orthopedic Surgery. Prior to starting this program, he elected to do an extra 6 month surgical residency at the University of Washington, located in Seattle. While in his 4th year at Duke, he served as Chief Resident. After finishing his residency in Orthopedics, Bill elected to stay another year to get a Fellowship in Hand and Upper Extremities.

After graduating from Duke, Bill moved to Savannah to begin practice with Orthopedics Associates in 1981,(which later merged with Optim Orthopedics). He practiced orthopedics for over 23 years. He was one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the area and cared greatly for his patients, forming lasting friendships with many of them.

Later in his life Bill went into hospital administration so he could devote more time to raising two teenagers. He was appointed Senior VP of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Health. He was on the Quality Improvement Council and later became the Manager of Case Management. During this time, he also received his MBA in Medical Finance online at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 2013, Bill was elected Chatham County Coroner, a position he held for 8 years.

Bill received many accolades during his lifetime. He was elected Member of the American Society of Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), member of the Piedmont Orthopedic Society (Duke), member of the Georgia Orthopedic Society, and was elected Professor Emeritus of Surgery at Mercer University School of Medicine. Being involved in his community was incredibly important to Bill. He was a former Board Member at Curtis Cooper Primary Healthcare, former member of Eastside Rotary, former President of the Board of Directors at Riverview Health Rehabilitation. In 2011, Bill was presented with a plaque stating that he was an Honorary Member of the Ranger's 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, in recognition of his faithful and dedicated service to the Rangers at Hunter Army Airfield. In 2012, the Coastal Empire Council of Boy Scouts of America presented him with the Outstanding Eagle Award.

In 2012 the Memorial Health Foundation chose to celebrate his 65th birthday by attempting to raise $65,000 for the refurbishment of the Emergency Department. They surpassed this goal and raised $110,000. In 2015 he was chosen by the Georgia Medical Society as a Health Care Hero. Also in 2015, Bill was honored by the Savannah Technical College Foundation Council (sponsored by Judy and Dick Eckburg) as a Community Star – an honor given to people who have made a difference in our community.

Bill was very proud of his ancestors and was a member of several societies: the Huguenot Society of South Carolina, the German Heritage Society, the French Society, a former member of the St. David's Society, the Society of The High Hills of the Santee, SC.

He was also a member of The Oglethorpe Club, The Cotillion Club, The Century Club, and past member of The Chatham Club.

Bill was a good man. He might be the first to tell you, but he would be right, like he always was. He was known for his wicked sense of humor and the pranks he enjoyed playing on co-workers. He had an amazing memory and never forgot a name. One of his colleagues shared that Bill took care of his father when he injured his hand from a prescription exploding at his pharmacy. Bill did a delicate nerve repair and returned his hand to full function. Twenty years later when this colleague came to town to start his practice, Bill still remembered it, even which finger it was!

Bill was full of stories about The Citadel and the military, and he loved to share them. He was larger than life in more ways than one, and you always knew he would be there for you if and when you needed him. This wonderful man will truly be missed.

Bill was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was most proud of raising his two children, Lucy and Will to become wonderful, intelligent, caring adults, both of whom entered the healthcare field. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 22 years, Karen Kennickell Wessinger, his son William Charles Drehr Wessinger and his wife Gracie, his two grandchildren Noel and Freya Wessinger (who he called nearly every day), his son-in-law Mathew Menefee, his stepdaughter Elizabeth Coolidge Rinfrette (Jeff) and their two children Logan and Ashlynn, his stepson Hermann Coolidge, III (Libby) and their son Hermann William Coolidge, IV, sister-in-law Cynthia, nephews Jim (Barbara), John (children LizAnn and James), and Rob, brother-in-law Alfred Kennickell (Terri). Bill was predeceased by his parents James and Eliza Wessinger, his brother James Wessinger, and his daughter, Lucy Wessinger Menefee.

Visitation will be Monday, February 24, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel. A Memorial service will be held on February 25, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Isle of Hope, followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. A private graveside service for the family will precede the church service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made "In Memory of William Wessinger" to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2 St. Thomas Avenue, Savannah, GA 31406 or to the UNC School of Nursing Lucy Wessinger Menefee Memorial Scholarship and mailed to UNC Gifts Processing, P.O. Box 309, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.