Dr. Kenneth Guy Tomberlin

1935 - 2024

Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Guy Tomberlin

Feb 27, 1935 - Nov 9, 2024

Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Guy Tomberlin, age 89, passed away at Salemtowne Rehabilitation Center on the morning of Saturday, November 9, 2024, following complications from a broken hip.

Ken was born in Charlotte on February 27, 1935, the only child of Guy Percy and Ann Williams Tomberlin. At ten years old, he was baptized at Wilson Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte. He grew up in nearby Mint Hill and loved talking about his first jobs there: working at the candy counter at his parents' country store, changing car oil, and driving school buses. In 1953, he graduated from East Mecklenburg High School. He completed his B.S. in biology at Wake Forest College in three years, as a member of the class of 1956, the last class to graduate from the old campus in the town of Wake Forest.

In 1960, Ken graduated from Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem. He then completed an internship at Madigan United States Army Hospital in Tacoma, WA. Following his orthopaedic surgical residency at Wilford Hall US Air Force Hospital in San Antonio, TX, Ken served at Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany and at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In 1969, he left the military and returned with his family to North Carolina to start his private medical practice, eventually establishing Winston Bone and Joint Associates. After many years of successful orthopaedic practice, he retired in 2015 at age 80. He cherished his co-workers at the hospital and the office, which was his second home. Caring for patients was his greatest joy over a career of more than five decades.

Ken was 15 years old when he met his future wife, Nancy, who was then 13. Ken and Nancy were married in Charlotte in 1958. They were married for 65 years. Their children were born in Pennsylvania, Texas, and North Carolina, as the family moved around for Ken's training and military career. They shared many adventures together, returning a number of times to visit family members serving in the US military in Germany and Greece, as well as taking many cruises together. Their favorite vacation spots were Hilton Head and Lake Lure, which Ken had first visited as a child in Bible camp. Known as Opa to his seven grandsons, Ken loved to entertain them with Lone Ranger stories, yardwork adventures, and egg hunting. He especially enjoyed spending July 4th at Lake Lure with them, playing mini-golf, making homemade peach ice cream, and watching fireworks over the valley.

Ken and Nancy attended Messiah Moravian Church in Winston-Salem for many years before joining Fairview Moravian Church in 2005.

Ken is survived by his wife, Nancy Hargett Tomberlin, his children Marcus (Eunice) of Bellingham, WA; Julie Tomberlin of Winston-Salem, NC; David Tomberlin (Jeannie) of Silver Spring, MD; and Eric Tomberlin (Carrie) of Weaverville, NC; as well as grandsons Dylan and Ian Tomberlin; Isaac, Daniel, and John Charles Weber; and Pablo and Oliver Tomberlin.

A celebration of life service will be held in the Salemtowne Saal at 2:00 pm on February 22, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorial contributions be made to Fairview Moravian Church, 6550 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem NC 27106, or to the Residential Financial Assistance Program at Salemtowne Philanthropy Office, 1000 Salemtowne Drive, Winston-Salem NC 27106. Condolences may be shared online at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

2951 Reynolda Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27106