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John Lamb Obituary
Nashville, TN
John William Lamb, MD, age 76, our beloved husband and father, went to be with the Lord on May 24, 2014.
He was the son of the late Rev. Benjamin Lamb and Margaret Kelly Lamb, and the brother of the late Benjamin Lamb.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; his daughters, Helena of Los Angeles and Betsy of Nashville; his son, John Jr. of Santiago, Chile; and two grandchildren, Lilian and Connor. He is also survived by his sister, Martha Haire and nephew, John Haire, both of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Dr. Lamb earned both his B.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of Chicago. Chicago is also where John joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps as part of the 82nd Airborne Division at 5th Army headquarters. He trained by jumping out of helicopters, but the core of his service was in the medical tent as part of the U.S. presence in the Dominican Republic. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery in Albany, NY and was named Chief of Orthopedics at the VA Hospital.
John married Linda Kinnicutt in Albany on June 13, 1970. They moved to Nashville in 1972 when he joined Dr. S. Benjamin Fowler's group and the staff of Baptist Hospital. Dr. Lamb opened his private practice in 1974 at Mid-State Medical Center. His door was open to all, regardless of financial means.
Dr. Lamb cofounded the Faith Family Medical Center for the working uninsured, where he served patients generously and raised the support of a community to join him. He also served for more than two decades on the board and in the volunteer clinic of his cherished Nashville Rescue Mission, provider of faith-based services to the hungry and homeless.
Among his professional honors and service were as President of the Nashville Academy of Medicine, Chairman of the Board of the Nashville Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Medical Association, recipient of the Tennessee Medical Association's Outstanding Physician Award, and recipient of the Nashville Business Journal's Healthcare Heroes Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Lamb began every day reading his Bible and praying. He was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church and its Fellowship Sunday School Class, Chancel Choir and Tuesday Morning Prayer Breakfast. Dr. Lamb was well known and beloved for his devotion to his patients and dedication to the practice of medicine.
A Memorial service will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 3 o'clock on Sunday, June 1, with visitation immediately following.
The family wishes to express gratitude to Drs. Stephen May, Stacy Davis, and William Penley, and to the staff at Richland Place Health Center and Caris Healthcare for their kind and excellent care.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that contributions be made to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 33 Burton Hills Blvd., Nashville, TN 37215; Faith Family Medical Center, 326 21st Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37203; or Nashville Rescue Mission, 639 Lafayette Street, Nashville, TN 37203.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for John Lamb
Randy Massa
May 28, 2024
I can´t believe it´s been 10 years since we lost Dr Lamb. I was just reminiscing about a business trip we took several years ago to visit a fellow surgeon in St Louis, MO. We visited the Arch and rode up to the top. What a wonderful memory. Dr Lamb you are deeply missed, but your legacy lives on! May God continue to bless and watch over your family until we meet again on that golden shore!
Ashley Lyons
February 13, 2015
To the Lamb family,
I am writing this and, have no idea if this will be read. However, I worked with Dr. Lamb for a few years and, i live in Austin Texas with a consulting company. Dr. Lamb was such a great man. I looked forward to speaking with him every day. He brought light into my days and, always had something positive to say to brighten my day. I spoke with Mrs. Lamb a couple times via telephone when she helped out Dr. Lamb with some of his work and, neither one of them truely new the effect they had on me. They were such special rolemodels to me and, I am so sorry to hear the loss. Grief can be so hard, but our special memories help us cope. Remembering you and your loved one today and always.
May Peace be with you.
September 19, 2014
He was my neighbor and friend...I also worked in the OR with him at Baptist...He was always admired and walked the high road...His family can be proud of his legacy...He is wearing a large heavenly crown..Carolyn Wood Snider Nashville Tn
ANGIE STEELE
July 24, 2014
As a volunteer at the WOODBINE/TCPC clinic I also feel the loss as others do. Our prayers are with the family of Dr. Lamb - we know the good Lord above has another ANGEL!
Emily Smith
June 15, 2014
So sorry to hear about john death wish i could have been their all mine thoughts are with you all Emily
Joan Napoles
June 3, 2014
So sorry for your loss. The Memorial service was beautiful. I worked with Dr. Lamb in the OR anT Baptist Hospital from 1993 until he retired. He was surely missed after he left. Thought of often. He is in peace now and free of pain. I know he is smiling down on us from heaven.
June 2, 2014
Dear Linda and family,
What a joy it was for Paul and I to be a part of the choir for the beautiful service yesterday that honored our Lord and the life of your precious John. We count it a privilege to have known such a dear man of God. We know our great God will provide "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow" for great is His faithfulness.
Much love, Mary Magyar
Brian Howard
June 1, 2014
So sorry to hear of your loss. MY prayers are with you
June 1, 2014
I worked with Dr. Lamb for many years. He was always a kind wonderful man. I will miss him very much.
Cathy Davis
June 1, 2014
To Mrs. Lamb, your children and grandchildren, Dr. Lamb's sister and nephew we want to extend our deepest prayers and condolences to all of you!
The Davis Family have very heavy hearts upon hearing of the loss of our wonderful Doctor, and friend Dr. Lamb! We know the Lord directed us to Dr. Lamb and my sister were so blessed to be his patients and to call him friend! After 4 surgeries with him I joked I should be his poster child! He was a Godly man, wonderful doctor who loved his God, his family, his church and his patients. He touched countless lives in his military service, practice and help in the clinic. He helped us, prayed for us and with us, and we for him, laughed with us he did it all! I loved seeing the pictures and articles of his family and pictures of his Grandchildren and hearing about the music programs of his church choir. Such an example of professionalism, and Godliness! Heaven is so much richer for his being there! Praying that the Holy Spirit will hold his family close to his heart and comfort you all as only he can! With much love, prayers and appreciation for your sharing of this wonderful Doctor with us we will forever more be thankful! I know he is singing with the angelic choir! I teased him that my knee replacements had to last until Jesus comes and he laughed but they are still going strong!
Cathy Davis
June 1, 2014
To Mrs. Lamb, and all your children and to his sister's we send our loving thoughts and prayers that the Holy Spirit will hold you all close to his heart and comfort you as only he can! Dr. Lamb has helped me specifically with 2 knee scopes, 2 replacements which I told him when they were done they had to last until Jesus comes. Well, they are still here, he does wonderful work! He also did a ruptured tendon for me. He told me I was too young for replacements but he had to do them. His smile, his laughter, jokes, pride in his family, and his wonderful love of God was evident in every encounter we had with him as patients. I felt like his poster child for surgery. He also replaced my sister's hips, and 1 knee. We loved knowing we had a Christian Doctor and we felt God led us to him! A wonderful loving, man who loved God, his family, and his patients and we are so blessed to have had this wonderful man touch our lives in so many ways! Dr. Lamb was the only one I would let inject my hips he was just so easy to trust! Heaven has gained a wonderful man and it is deeply our loss. I hope he meets my Dad there! Prayers to all of his family during this time, he will be sorely missed and you his family will be loved in his absence! Thank you all for sharing him with us to be our wonderful Doctor and friend!
Amy Gilbert
May 31, 2014
Your kindness and the laughter will never be forgotten.. Rest in peace always ! May God shine on your family at this time
Randy Massa
May 31, 2014
I was very blessed to be able to work alongside Dr Lamb at Baptist hospital for many years. He was a talented surgeon and a wonderful human being who truly cared for his fellow man. He always showed respect to others and was a true Southern gentleman! I feel very blessed that I was able to call him my friend. God truly blessed us all in so many ways through Doctor John Lamb! Go rest in peace my friend!
May God bless Linda and the entire family as they find peace & comfort through our savior Jesus Christ.
Kathryn Huddleston
May 31, 2014
I will so miss my friend, "Dr. John" for his spiritual core, his unwavering faith, his consistent willingness to help others - even when he himself was very ill - and his keen mind on foreign and domestic affairs. He was always an inspiration to me, and I will miss him so much. But I am so grateful that he is out of his suffering and at home with the Lord. Linda, you were an amazing caregiver.
Love, Kathryn Huddleston
George and Harriet Butler
May 31, 2014
Linda, Praying for you all in this time of loss for God's grace and comfort. John was willing to help others with the many gifts God blessed him with. He always had a kind word of blessing;always shared his compassion; and always with a smile! He was a special person that treated others as special too! God's choir just welcomed him and the angels are singing! Love to all, George and Harriet
May 30, 2014
So sorry for you loss.
Carolyn Lowen
Christie McKinnon
May 30, 2014
Dr Lamb was a great person and doctor. He is the reason I'm able to walk today. He will be missed. Prayers to all.
May 30, 2014
Thank you, Dr. Lamb, for all you did for our family--especially me. You saved my life! And, thank you, especially for being such a wonderful, warm, and giving person. Our prayers are with the family.
Linda and Donnie Eakes, Lebanon, TN
Conni Ellisor
May 30, 2014
Your father was such a wonderful man in so many ways. Not only was he a brilliant surgeon (who healed my ankle after others had failed) but he was truly an inspiration as a complete compassionate human being. It was an honor to know him and I feel blessed having his daughter Betsy in my life.
Randy Smith
May 30, 2014
Knowing John and the Lamb family has been a wonderful blessing to our family; please know that all of you are in our hearts and prayers at this time
Jean and Debra From Trumps
May 30, 2014
You are in our prayers.
Bruce and Loren Penman
May 30, 2014
Your family is in our thoughts and prayers.
Cathy Umstead
May 30, 2014
Alan and I send our deepest condolences to Linda, Betsy, Helena and John Jr. Dr. Lamb was a wonderful person and great supporter of the arts. We will miss his smiling face in the choir at Covenant Pres
Jean and Debra From Trumps
May 30, 2014
You have our prayers
Jan Furman
May 30, 2014
Will miss you Dr Lamb.....u were so loving and gratious and kind to me and my family when we really needed it.....love to Betsy Helena Linda and John Jr
Suzanne Cassel
May 29, 2014
David and I send deepest love and prayers for John's eternal rest and peace for all of you.
Suzanne Cassel
May 29, 2014
David and I send our deepest love and prayers for John's eternal rest and peace for all of you.
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