Dr. James Morrison Childers

Dr. James Morrison Childers, age 93 at the time of his death, was born in Catlettsburg, KY on April 3, 1927, the only child of James H. and Thelma Fannin Childers. He attended schools in Catlettsburg and graduated from Thomas R. Brown High School in 1945. Due to World War II, James enlisted in the United States Navy and was activated shortly before graduation from high school. Boot training was completed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and his first assignment was to the Navy’s Training and Distribution Center in Shoemaker, CA. He was later transferred to, and ultimately discharged from the Alameda California Naval Air Station in 1946.

Having decided to pursue dentistry as a career, James began his studies at Ashland Junior College in Ashland, KY. Graduating with an Associate Degree in 1948, he entered the University of Louisville to complete pre-dental studies, where he was a member of Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity. James was accepted for entry to the University of Louisville School of Dentistry in 1949. While attending Dental School, he lived and worked at the Kentucky Baptist Hospital. While working at the hospital, James met Georgia Anna Polk, from Lebanon, KY, and they married following his graduation in 1953.

In the Fall of 1953, James accepted a Fellowship from the American Cancer Society to study and train in Clinical Oral Pathology at Ohio State University. An additional year was spent at Ohio State as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Operative Dentistry. In 1955, James was recalled to the University of Louisville to serve as a faculty member in the Department of Oral Medicine. In 1956, he entered the private practice of Dentistry in Louisville, KY, where he worked for 15 years. In 1971, James was recruited to become a founding faculty member for the U.T. Health Science Center School of Dentistry being built in San Antonio, TX. He established the Department of Operative Dentistry and was later named Chairman. Following a reorganization of the Dental School, James was named Chairman of the Department of Restorative Dentistry. He was active in the American Association of Dental Schools, where he served as Chairman of the section for Operative Dentistry. He was a charter member of the Academy of Operative Dentistry and was one of 18 founding members of the American Board of Operative Dentistry. James retired from the U.T Health Science Center School of Dentistry in 2002.

Family meant everything to James; he was a wonderful patriarch, a loving husband and father, and will be missed dearly by all who loved him. James is preceded in death by his father, mother, and son Derek Childers. He is survived by his wife of 67 years Georgia Childers; son Scott Childers (wife Juliet Childers), grandchildren Walker Childers and Jacqueline Childers Crutcher (husband Clifford Crutcher), great-grandchildren Tripp and Madeleine Crutcher; son Blake Childers (wife Brenda Childers), granddaughter Moriah Childers; daughter Jamey Childers Schrutka (husband Jeff Schrutka), grandchildren Jordan Schrutka and Chance Schrutka (wife Kristi Schrutka), great-grandchildren Jacob and Logan Schrutka.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on January 14, 2021 at University United Methodist Church, 5084 De Zavala Road, San Antonio, TX 78249. Entombment will be in the Chapel of the Last Supper, at Resthaven Memorial Park in Louisville, KY.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be given in James’ memory to University United Methodist Church.