Dr. William Graham Painter, Jr.

Dr. William G. Painter, Jr., 92, died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on October 7, 2011. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 15 at Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church in Fort Defiance. A gathering will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, October 14 at Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Home in Staunton.

Devoted husband, loving father, charismatic grandfather and a magnificent storyteller, the memory of his unique spirit will be treasured by his family and friends. He was certainly unforgettable to all who knew him and especially the hundreds of families he cared for through his more than 40 years in medical practice.

He was preceded in death by his wife of over 60 years, Dorothy Broadwater Painter, parents Dr. William G. and Laura Kelly Painter, sisters Kit, Bobbie and Tazie, and brother Jimmy.

He will be deeply missed by his family, his sister Ann Lowell, brother-in-law Bruce Lowell, two sons William G. Painter, III and James Painter, his daughter Elizabeth Painter, his daughter-in-law Kathy Painter, his two grand-daughters Kierstan Schwab and Emily McFarlane and three beautiful great-granddaughters.

Dr. Painter was born on March 4, 1919 and raised in Big Stone Gap, Va. In 1938, after graduating from high school, he left his hometown in the mountains and enrolled at Hampton-Sidney College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1942. He returned to that coal-mining town in Southwest Virginia to marry Dorothy Broadwater in 1943. After his wedding, he attended the Medical College of Virginia, where he graduated in 1945 in the Army Specialized Training Program. Dr. Painter served an internship at Southern Baptist Hospital in New Orleans, La. He served two years in the Army Air Force, serving as an army doctor at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Fl.

Following his military service, Dr. Painter established a medical practice in 1948 in the beautiful hamlet of Mount Sidney and began his family there . Dr. Painter was the quintessential country doctor attending to home births and seeing patients throughout the region. In 1954, Dr. Painter started Fort Defiance Medical Center with Dr. Samuel Carter. They were kindred spirits who enjoyed telling stories, fishing, being outdoors and raising their children. During Dr. Painter’s years of medical practice, he also served as county coroner and physician to cadets at Augusta Military Academy. Until their retirements, Dr. Painter and Dr. Carter practiced family medicine in Fort Defiance with Dr. Michael Hanna and Dr. Mary O’Brien. If success can be measured by the number of cakes, cookies and confections that Dr. Painter’s patients brought him at Christmastime, he was clearly loved by the people he served.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Augusta Health Hospice of the Shenandoah Valley, P.O. Box 215, Fishersville, VA 22939. Also, memorial donations can be made in Dr. Painter’s name to Hampton-Sidney College, 1 College Road, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943.

Arrangements under the direction of Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Homes Staunton Chapel, Staunton, VA.