Ted Flournoy Leigh

Dr. Ted F. Leigh of Atlanta died on the 28th of September peacefully in his sleep resulting from complications of congestive heart failure. Dr. Leigh was Director of the Department of Radiology of Emory University Hospital from January 1948 to September 1973 and program director for training in Radiology from 1973 to his retirement on August 31, 1980. He continued in retirement to work at Grady Memorial Hospital one day a week up until August 1999. He was an early member of the Emory Clinic. Dr. Leigh was born in Oxford, Alabama on November 22, 1911. He later lived in Anniston, AL, Greenville, SC, Orlando, FL, Birmingham, AL New York City, NY and Atlanta. He graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 1933, and from Emory University School of Medicine in 1938. He interned at Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City from 1938 to 1940. After a short practice in New York City, he entered the Medical Corp of the United States Army, serving with the 27th National Guard Division of New York in Alabama and Hawaii, and later the 369th Hospital on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands. The hospital served the B-29 Bomber Groups which were bombing Japan during this phase of World War II. He rose from 1st Lieutenant to Major during his 5 year tenure. Following the war, he entered a Residency in Radiology at Columbia - Presbyterian Medical Center in N.Y.C., and on completion in December 1947, started his long career at Emory University on January 1st, 1948. Dr. Leigh was a former President of the Atlanta Radiology Society, Eastern Radiology Society and the Atlanta Clinical Society. He was Chairman of the Radiology Section of the American Medical Association and the Southern Medical Association. He was Vice President of the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America. In 1975, he was elected to the Presidency of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS), after serving as Secretary of that society for a number of years. In 1990, he was awarded the gold medal from the ARRS for "Distinguished Service to Radiology." Also, Dr. Leigh was the co-author of the monograph, "The Mediastinum" by Leigh and Weens, and was the author of several medical chapters in leading medical books. In College at Birmingham- Southern, he was a member of the SAE Social Fraternity and the ODK Honorary Fraternity; in medical school he was a member of the Phi Chi medical Fraternity and in Medical practice, to the AOA Honorary Society. In addition to radiology, Dr. Leigh had three other passions in life. One of his passions was travel, from Moscow to Melbourne and many countries in between totaling 36 countries on six continents. In the 1930's, he led a four piece orchestra for three summers on cruise ships sailing from Savannah to New York to Boston. In the 1960's, on a three month sabbatical, he spent a week each in twelve major cities in Western Europe. He continued to travel with his children up until his death. Golf was another passion, beginning at age eight and continuing into his nineties. At Ansley Golf Club in Atlanta where he was a member for 60 years, he won the Latz Tournament, had three holes in one, and several eagles on par five holes. He played many U.S. courses and some in Canada. Abroad he played on courses in Spain, England, Ireland, and Scotland (including historical St. Andrews). Photography was another of Dr. Leigh's loves. He started with a box camera and ended with a Speed Graphic. On two occasions he had pictures in Life magazine. He had many covers on medical magazines and one man shows on several occasions. This passion led to his career in Radiology. During WWII, his colonel said quote, "Leigh likes photography, and that's all X-ray is, so make him the X-ray man." The rest is history. He will always be remembered not only as an accomplished man, but also loving husband, father and grandfather. A gentleman and a scholar, Dr. Leigh was humbled by the blessed life he had lived, and what a wonderful life it was. Dr. Leigh was formerly married to Midge Leigh, who lives in Boulder, CO., and later to Patricia McGouirk Leigh, who died in 1997. He is survived by a son, Robert F. Leigh, and wife Susan of Lilburn, GA and daughter Peggy Leigh Baker, and her husband Bill of Boulder, CO, and grandchildren, Kristine Leigh Franks, Matthew Leigh, Allison Leigh, Alexandria Baker and Nicole Baker. His brother Douglas Leigh, who died in 1999, was a well-known advertising man in New York City. There will be a Memorial Service at the Rock Springs Presbyterian Church at Piedmont and Rock Springs Roads on November 22nd at 4pm which would have been Dr. Leigh's 100th birthday. The Family has requested that no flowers be sent. Those who wish, can contribute to the Emory Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. In the memo line please write Weens-Leigh Endowment Fund which supports the work of the doctors in training in the Department of Radiology at Emory University. Mail to Stacia Brown, Director of Development Emory University School of Medicine/Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, 1440 Clifton Road NE, Suite 170, Atlanta, GA. 30322. Furthermore, donations can also be made to Hospice Atlanta, 1224 Park Vista Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30319.