Glenn H. Booth Jr.

Glenn H. Booth Jr passed away on October 15, 2026 at age 84. He was a physician, devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother, an enthusiastic outdoorsman, a storyteller and inherent observer of people around him. Whether caring for his patients, walking the hills of Tennessee, or sitting on a porch with family and friends, Booth brought intelligence, generosity and a delight in the people around him to a life well lived.

Booth was born in Nashville Tennessee, the son of Glenn H Booth Sr of Nashville, and Margaret R Folk of Tallulah, Louisiana. He was the first grandchild on both sides of the family, and from the start, the apple of everyone’s eye. Glenn, known as Buddy or Little Buddy to family, often led the way for his siblings whether pushing his little sister on the swing (perhaps occasionally as target for acorn throws) or letting her "dance" instead of sing for the tape recorder their father brought home from work. His boyhood was a wild and wonderful collection of adventures across Tennessee, Northeast Louisianna and points in between, often in the company of his father, brother Bobby, uncles and cousins. Many of these escapades came with the good-natured admonition of “don’t tell your mother,” generally for good reason. No grapevine went untested for its swinging capacity, no patch of woods unexplored, and cliffs were rarely admired from a sensible distance. Mud bars and rivers were forded, often in questionable watercraft with adventures lasting considerably longer than planned when currents ran swift, motors crapped out, biblical storms arose “out of the blue,” or shortcuts proved anything but. And certainly, more than one Jeep – and one VW Beetle, was hopelessly stuck in deep muck more times than anyone could count. Those escapades became family legends, reflecting a lifelong love of the outdoors, curiosity, and good humor. These family adventures were only improved with the telling, and an adherence to the Booth family motto for the lore that “mostly it was so.”

Booth’s young adulthood continued to follow new paths. After his father participated in a summer program for young executives at Williams College, Booth made his way to Williams in 1960, a long way and a then unusual choice from a boy from Nashville. It proved formative. He majored in art history, but junior year a professor sparked his interest in science and medicine, and he pivoted to add pre-med class requirements. Upon graduating Williams in 1964, he headed home to Nashville to attend Vanderbilt Medical School, where he earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. in biochemistry with a concentration in nutrition.

After his graduation from Vanderbilt, Glenn did not immediately follow a path to the practice of clinical medicine. Inspired by Dr. William Darby, he accepted a fellowship in Cairo, Egypt to study zinc dwarfism and a parasitic disease which afflicted the local population. The tradition of somewhat questionable choices continued in Cairo with tales of waterskiing in the Nile alongside crocodiles, and travel adventures with friends.

His Ph.D. training next took him to General Foods Corp. in Tarrytown, New York, where he served as medical director, working at the intersection of medicine, nutrition science and business. A lifelong coffee lover, it’s notable that one of his studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined its impact on stomach acid. His family was fond of noting that his expertise in nutrition did not always translate into adherence to its principles, particularly where coffee, cookies or ice cream were involved.

Once again, a different path called, and Booth returned to Nashville and Vanderbilt in 1974 to complete his internship and residency that would lead him to practice internal medicine for the next 45 years. A doctor’s doctor, many of his fellow physicians entrusted their own care to him, and in 2006 he was elected a Fellow of the American College of Physicians in recognition of his leadership, mentorship and care that defined his practice. The truest measure of Booth as a physician was the deep relationships he had with so many of his patients. Shared stories of adventures and updates on children and grandchildren were equally essential components of an office visit as blood pressure readings or lab results. Booth was known to accept more unconventional forms of compensation: homemade sausages or home-grown tomatoes. He practiced medicine with skill and rigor, but also with humanity and an understanding that knowing and caring for others was a privilege.

Porch sitting was an art form for Booth, all the better if it came with a good rocking chair, a beautiful view, the promise of a rousing game of “Chase the Ace,” and people he loved trading stories, none of which necessarily suffered from strict adherence to the facts.

He had a smile and greeting for every neighbor while tipping his ever-present, well-worn hat, and knew the names of every dog. Booth was deeply and genuinely interested in other people. He delighted in hearing what others were interested in, proud of, working toward or simply what mattered most to them. Booth met people with intelligence and warmth, leaving them with the unmistakable feeling that he was glad to see them and eager to hear what they had to say. As his parents aged, they moved to Nashville where Booth lovingly and faithfully guided and cared for them in their last years.

Booth leaves behind a family who will miss his wisdom and warmth, his curiosity in people, his delight in a good story, and his deep love for the natural world, particularly the beauty of the rolling hills of Tennessee. He is survived by his daughters and their families, Mary Dwight (Griz), Cecilia Stinnett (David), and Lynne Jones (Michael), grandchildren Campbell & Cooper Dwight, and Madeline Blanchette (Ryan), great-grandson Elliott Blanchette, his sister Margaret Leeper, brother Robert (Liz), his sister-in-law Lady Bird, numerous loving nieces, nephews and their children, and his beloved dog PupDog. He was preceded in death by his wife of 36 years Marylee, and his parents Glenn and Margaret.

"When the weather is fine, may you find yourself a grapevine to swing on, a trail to explore, a bluff to peer over, a view to admire, or a porch on which to rock. Of course, any embellishment of your experience would only be fitting."

A visitation and service will be held on December 12, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Visitation at 10AM in the Cheek House followed by a memorial service at 11AM in the Stanford Chapel. 4815 Franklin Pike, Nashville Tennessee.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorial donations to Williams College Williams Giving · Support Williams or Friends of Radnor Lake Donate | Friends of Radnor Lake | Tennessee's First Natural Area.