Obituary for James Henry Sprouse, Jr., M.D.
It was a good day for flying somewhere when my father, Dr. James Henry Sprouse, Jr. left our world. After years of a deteriorating mind due to Alzheimer’s disease, his body finally wore out on Friday, April 15, 2016. My father had a good life and it’s sad it ended this way with no memory of the man he was or the life he led.
He was born December 1, 1931, in Abbeville, S.C., to Sophia and James Henry Sprouse, Sr. An only child,he excelled in school and became an Eagle Scout. After graduating high school, Henry attended Erskine College in Due West, S.C., from 1950-1953. While in college he was married to Anne Perry. They had five children. Henry graduated from the Medical College of South Carolina in 1957. He completed an internship and residency in Anesthesia at Medical College Teaching Hospitals in Charleston. From there, he worked at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland as a staff and research anesthesiologist. From 1963-1967, Henry was an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.
In 1967, Henry and his family moved to Marietta, Ga., where he was in private practice as an anesthesiologist at Kennestone Hospital. In 1975 he married Ethel Jordan Wessinger and resided in Kennesaw, Georgia. In 1982, Henry accepted a position at the Marietta Surgical Center where he served as an anesthesiologist and administrator.
In 1994 he retired to Cedar Bluff, Alabama. While he no longer had patients, he soon took in and cared for 20+ dogs and cats and they became his patients. When he wasn’t working, Henry enjoyed flying and was a private pilot for over 30+ years. He was also a master woodworker and racing enthusiast. He enjoyed traveling, photography, motorcycles, and reading. He was known for his keen intellect, photographic memory and witty sense of humor. As his health declined and his mind grew dim, his sense of humor remained intact.
Henry is survived by his wife Ethel Sprouse of 41 years; his five children, Debbie Anne Sprouse, Nancy Sprouse Olsen (Danny), Connie Sprouse Carter (Tom), Jimmy SprouseIII(Michelle), and Cindy Sprouse Gibson(Dillon); his step-daughter, Kim Wessinger; his three grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
A memorial service for Dr. Sprouse will be held Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Perry Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Melvyn Salter officiating. The family will receive friends from 1 until 3 P.M. Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cherokee Humane Society.
Perry Funeral Home directing.