Dr. Gregory Alan "Greg" Braden

BRADEN Dr. Gregory "Greg" Alan Braden, 50, of Winston-Salem finished his race with perseverance and, being made whole again, received the crown of life God promised to him on Monday, Aug. 13, 2007, at Forsyth Memorial Hospital. He was born Oct. 9, 1956, at Scot Air Force Base in Belleville, Ill., to Jerome C. Braden and Regina E. Braden. He grew up in Biloxi, Miss., where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout and attended Biloxi Senior High School. Dr. Braden graduated from Centenary College in Shreveport, La., with a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in biology and from Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University with a Doctor of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, where he was chief resident, and completed his fellowship in cardiology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., where he was chief fellow. Dr. Braden returned to Winston-Salem to join the staff of Bowman Gray School of Medicine, where he was an associate professor and director of the Cardiac Cath Lab. Dr. Braden was world renowned for his expertise, cardiac trials and clinical investigations with complex arterial interventions and was highly sought after to train other cardiologists around the world. He served as an officer and committee member on many professional cardiology associations involving heart disease including the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology and was a board member of the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. His most recent positions included director of Cardiovascular Research and director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Forsyth Memorial Hospital and head of Cardiology Specialists of North Carolina. Greg loved flying his Cessna, was an amazing cook and wine connoisseur and a tremendous fan and supporter of Wake Forest athletics. He was a loving son, husband, father and grandfather who lived every day to the fullest with no regrets. He was preceded in death by his father, Jerome C. Braden; and grandparents Kenneth H. Braden, Elizabeth V. Braden and Ralph N. Soller. He is survived by his wife, Marion Stoltzfus Braden of the home; four children, Jenny Rebecca Hobbs and husband William "Ernie" of Madison, Ala.; Sarah Elizabeth Braden of Flagstaff, Ariz.; Amy Katherine Braden of Winston-Salem; and Gregory "Drew" Andrew Braden of Wilmington; two stepchildren, Travis Lee Luffman and Heather Nichole Luffman of the home; three grandchildren, Melanie, Michael and Meredith Hobbs of Madison, Ala.; his mother, Regina Braden of Biloxi, Miss.; his grandmother, Rose Soller of Zanesville, Ohio; three siblings, Jeffrey Braden of Livermore, Calif.; Deborah Haskins and husband Samuel of Senatobia, Miss.; and Robert Braden and wife Patricia of Biloxi, Miss. A funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Clemmons, where he was a member, with the Rev. Scott Wilkinson officiating. Burial will follow at Forsyth Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today, Aug. 17, at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel. Memorials may be made to The Dr. Gregory Alan Braden Memorial Fund, Forsyth Medical Center Foundation, 3335 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27103, to further his passion of medical education and research.