Thomas E. Benefield Jr. M.D.

Thomas E. Benefield Jr. M.D.

Thomas E. Benefield Jr. M.D. of Gulfport, MS died on August 27, 2004. He was a Gulfport native, born August 18, 1930, and a graduate of Gulfport High School, Class of 1949. His premedical education was at the University of Southern Mississippi graduating in 1953. He graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine with an M.D. in 1956. He completed his internship at St. Louis City Hospital in 1957 and began his general practice in Mathiston and Maben, MS. In April 1959 Dr. Benefield returned home and established Benefield Clinic in the Miss City area where he practiced family medicine for 43 years until his retirement in 2002.

Dr. Tom Benefield was on staff at Gulfport Memorial Hospital and Garden Park Medical Center. He was a general partner and primary organizer of Garden Park Hospital in 1973. He was an associate clinical professor of community medicine at Tulane Medical School and clinical instructor of family practice at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He was the past president of Tulane Medical Alumni Association and member of the 1834 Society.

He was a very active alumnus of Southern Miss: a founding member of the USM athletic committee, past president of the USM alumni for Harrison County, a member of the Eagle Club, among the President's circle of the USM Foundation Honors Club and served on its Board of Directors, and Hall of Fame recipient of the USM in 1989.

Dr. Benefield was the past president of the Clan MacInnes Society of America and a member of the International Association of Clan MacInnes.

He is proceeded in death by his parents Thomas Benefield and Annie McInnis Benefield. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Elinor Brown Benefield, his sons Boyd P. Benefield M.D. and his wife Dianna; and Don W. Benefield, M.D. and wife Patricia; his daughter Rev. Rachel Benefield-Pfaff and husband Scott; all of Gulfport, his brother John Benefield of Panama City, and sister Melda Benefield Muise of Mira Loma, CA; and eight grandchildren Porter, Carter, Sarah, Hannah, Hayley, and Hattie Benefield and Thomas and Ellie Pfaff, and many other loving family, friends and patients. Tom was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church.

Visitation will be held at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home on 15th Street, Downtown Gulfport on Sunday August 29th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, August 30th at Trinity United Methodist Church with visitation one hour prior. The interment will be at Floral Hills Cemetery, Gulfport.

In lieu of flowers the family requests all donations be made to the Thomas E. Benefield, Jr., M.D. Scholarship Fund at the University of Southern Mississippi, USM Foundation, Attention Development, 730 East Beach Blvd., Long Beach, MS 39560.