Dr. John William Runyan Jr.'s Obituary
John William Runyan Jr., M.D. died on March 20, 2020. He was born in Memphis, TN, on January 23, 1924, to John William Runyan Sr. and Lottie Roberts Runyan. He was a graduate of Central High in Memphis. While attending Washington and Lee University he joined the U.S. Navy and was sent to Duke University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, earning a B.S. degree from W and L, and an M.D. from JHU in 1947. In 1960, he joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee, Memphis, College of Medicine, where he founded the Division of Endocrinology and headed it for a decade. He subsequently served as professor and chairman of the Department of Preventative Medicine from 1972-1994. With his leadership, the department added programs in geriatric medicine and health promotion/disease prevention. Dr. Runyan was instrumental in designing and establishing one of the nation’s premier community based, nurse run, chronic disease treatment programs, which won national recognition for the university. He has received many honors and awards for his outstanding contributions to community health, including the John D. Rockefeller III Public Service Award, the American College of Physicians’ Rosenthal Award, the American Diabetes Association’s Upjohn Award, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Johns Hopkins University, and the Laureate Award from the Tennessee chapter of the American College of Physicians. He was predeceased by his parents, two brothers, Frank Runyan of Memphis and I.V. Runyan of Pittsford, N.Y., and by his sister, Dorothy Runyan Spaine of Fayetteville. He is survived by his wife Barbara Zerbe Runyan, and his sons: John William Runyan III, Scott Baylor Runyan, and Keith Roberts Runyan, and his grandchildren: Katharine Runyan, Elspeth Runyan, Aliya Runyan, Ali Runyan and Gem Runyan. Visitation will be from 1- 2 p.m. on Monday March 23th at Memorial Park Funeral Home, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN.
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