Irving A. Metz, Jr.'s Obituary
Irving (Irv) A. Metz, Jr., of Memphis, died after a brief illness at St. Francis Hospital on October 6, 2009. Irv, a native of Helena, Arkansas was born November 25, 1916. He was a graduate of Helena High School, Class of 1934 and a member of the National Honor Society. He earned a B.S. degree in Commerce & Business Administration (now Marketing) from the University of Alabama, Class of 1938.His initial job experience was in theatre management with Paramount-Richards Theatres, Inc., headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was Assistant Manager of the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama from 1938 to 1940, when he was sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi as Manager of the Alamo and Saenger Theatres, respectively. In 1942, he was promoted to Supervising Manager of eight of the Company’s nine theatres in Shreveport, Louisiana.In 1941 he married the former Ms. Annabelle Moorhead of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The couple had two children, Anne and Irving, III, both of whom predeceased their parents. The marriage endured for 58 years until the unexpected death of Mrs. Metz in 1999. Of his marriage, Irv often said to one and all that “Annabelle was my greatest blessing on this earth. She was my unfailing inspiration, the love of my life, and beloved by all who knew her.”In 1943 he voluntarily enlisted in the Army, later attending Officer Candidate School at Camp Barkley, Texas where he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. Medical Administrative Corps, AUS (later known as the Medical Service Corps). He served nearly three years on active duty, including one year overseas in Europe and the Philippines. He was awarded several medals for his service, including a Presidential Unit Citation with one battle star earned by his Motor Ambulance Company.After the war, in 1946 he was named Assistant Manager, and later acting Manager, of the Tallahassee, Florida Chamber of Commerce. In 1948 Irv, Annabelle and the children moved to Savannah, Georgia where he was employed by the Savannah Chamber of Commerce as Associate Executive Director, eventually serving as Executive Director from 1954 to 1966. Meanwhile, in 1952 he had been recalled to active duty as Wing Public Information Officer of the Second Bomb Wing (SAC), Hunter AFB, in Savannah, serving until November 1953.After serving as Associate Executive Director at the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Chamber of Commerce form 1966 to 1968, Irv was named Executive Director of the Memphis Arts Council in 1968 and served in that position until mid-1970 when he joined the staff of the Mid-South Medical Center Council (MMCC), eventually serving as Executive Director until his retirement in 1983, after which he joined as an Executive Assistant what was then Upjohn HealthCare Services in Memphis, which was acquired in 1992 by Baptist Memorial Health Care at which time it became Baptist Trinity Home Care & Hospice. In August 2008, Irv retired for a second time, after serving 25 years at Baptist Trinity. Before his retirement, Nancy Averwater, administrator and CEO of Baptist Trinity Home Care & Hospice said, “We all love Mr. Irv. He still keeps current on business and industry trends, and his institutional knowledge of our company and dedication to service are an asset for everyone here.”He was a past member of the Memphis Rotary Club, University of Alabama National Alumni Association, the Alabama Golden Fifties Club, and a charter member of the Denny Society. During his 25 years as a chamber executive, he was a Past President of the Georgia Association of Chamber Executives, and held memberships in the Southern Association of Chamber Executives and the American Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. He also was a member of the MOAA and its local chapter.Irv was an ordained Elder and Deacon in the Presbyterian Church, USA and a longtime member of the Woodland United Presbyterian Church and a former member of the Session.He is survived by his brother, Joseph S. Metz (Doris), who resides in Dallas, Texas, two nieces and four nephews.Memorial contributions may be sent to Woodland Presbyterian Church, 5219 Park Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38119 or Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation, 350 N. Humphreys Blvd, Memphis, Tennessee 38120-9700, or a charity of the donor’s choice.
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