Keith Axson Quarterman Jr. passed away suddenly after a wonderful life of 90 years. A true southern gentleman, he will be remembered for his compassion, his integrity, and for the joy that he brought to the many lives he touched.
Keith (“Grandaddy”) was born in Atlanta in 1930, the second child of Keith Axson, Sr. and Mary Nell (Leiper) Quarterman. He grew up in Brookwood Hills and graduated from North Fulton High School in 1947 and Emory University in 1951.
Following undergraduate school, he fulfilled his ambition to become a doctor and enrolled in Emory Medical School. It was there, on a blind date, that he met Kay Krauth, the one and only love of his life. They married on June 10, 1953 and she loved, supported and tolerated Keith for 67 years until her death in July last year.
Keith graduated from Emory Medical School in 1953. After residency, internships and a stint in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, Keith and Kay settled in Atlanta. Keith began private practice as a General Surgeon in 1963, first at the Buckhead Clinic and later in his own practice. He had a distinguished career. He served as Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Northside Hospital, and served a term as Medical Director for Medicare for the State of Georgia. Keith retired from active practice in 1995 and thereafter consulted with insurance companies for another 10 years before retiring altogether. He loved being a doctor, because he loved helping people. Until his death he continued to practice medicine on his extended family. “Take two Advil, you’ll be fine”.
Grandaddy will be remembered fondly for his warmth, his sense of humor, and his curiosity into all things. Kay dragged him all over the world in retirement and he loved soaking up the culture and history of “new and exciting places.” Keith remained intellectually curious throughout his life, reading and attending classes (“free!”) at Emory in his retirement, as exemplified by a course in Quantum Physics at age 88.
Keith’s tastes were broad, and deeply felt. He loved traditional Southern food, in quantity; obscure, hilarious comedies; Vaudeville-style music, and the poetry of Kipling and James Whitcomb Riley. He loved the beach and his martini. He relished bargain shopping; not so much for the bargain as for the eye rolling of his wife and children. (“ but, short sleeve dress shirts are cheaper and no one can tell”). Throughout his life, Keith treated everyone he encountered with grace and respect.
More than anything, Grandaddy loved his family. He and Kay raised four boys in a boisterous household that thrived on laughter, ideas and often heated discussion. He cherished his time around the dinner table as the family spiritedly explored any and all topics, with Grandaddy often taking positions bolstered by “facts” that he would conjure from unread sources no one could really verify. The era of Google search severely curbed his debating prowess.
His family was everything to him, as he was to them. He is survived by four sons, Keith III (Pamela) of Charlottesville VA; Alan (Jeanmarie) of Atlanta; John (Fabienne) of San Francisco; Neil (Yeshi) of Atlanta. He is survived by eleven grandchildren: Keith IV (“Kit”), Chris (Erica), Kendall, Kyle (Sharlena), Joe, Emma, Ted, Claire, William, Sola, and Thomas. He is also survived by four great grandchildren, Silke, Mila, Cameron, and Isabel. He is predeceased by his wife Kay and by his sister Ellen Davis.
Grandaddy will be honored by a ceremony at Patterson’s of Brookhaven on April 16 at 11:00. The family will receive friends one hour prior.
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