Walter Verner's Obituary
Walter Eugene “Buck” Verner, age 87, long time family medicine physician in Memphis, died peacefully on August 17 after a long illness. He was born April 22, 1929, the son of Anna May Loller and Thomas Eugene Verner. He graduated from Christian Brothers College (now CBHS) in 1947, attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville and Memphis State University before graduating from the UT College of Medicine in 1954. He completed his internship and was long affiliated with Methodist Healthcare. After serving in the reserve corps of the Public Health Service from 1955 to 1958, Dr. Verner opened a private practice in family medicine, whose office in Raleigh was in operation until 1999. His practice was that of the family doctor, of treating patients to the second and third generation, and of house calls, sometimes in the wee hours. After forty-plus years of practicing full time, Dr. Verner continued working as a physician in an outpatient clinic until November 2015, at age 86. He served as president of the Memphis Shelby County chapter of the Tennessee Academy of Family Practice in 1981, and from 1981 to 1983 as Deputy Chief of Staff at Methodist North Hospital. He is survived by his wife Mildred Broome Verner, by her mother Margaret Broome, by his sister Juanita Verner Hopper, two daughters, Carol Verner Craig and husband Dennis, Susan Verner Wells and husband Larry, his sons, Paul Verner, Tim Verner and wife Cathy Hammer Verner, by his grandchildren Taylor and Nicholas Verner, Jamie Wells, Camp Craig and wife Virginia, and his great-granddaughter Caroline Craig. He is predeceased by his sister Walterene Redding and brother Frank Verner, and by his granddaughter Mary Stevens Craig. In honor of the grandchild he lost, the family asks that any memorials should be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 25 from 1:30-2:30 with the service to immediately follow. All services will be held at Memorial Park.
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