Dr. E. Anthony "Tony" Musarra

Dr. Elmer Anthony Musarra, II of Marietta, Georgia, died Wednesday, March 15 surrounded by his family. He was 73. Born on October 18, 1943 in Marietta, Georgia, to the late Helen and Elmer Musarra, also a doctor, Tony – to all who knew him – was a beloved plastic surgeon who never met a stranger and could light up a room with his warmth and laugh. Even in the midst of his short battle with brain cancer, Tony publically accepted the very first “E. Anthony Musarra Award” given by the Cobb County Medical Society for his distinguished and meritorious service and had the entire room smiling. A graduate of Marietta High School where he played football and excelled academically, Tony went on to play football at Tulane University before the Georgia Bulldogs wooed him to Athens. At The University of Georgia, Tony was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, managing to be social chairman while simultaneously keeping his eye on his future medical career. His accomplishments and involvement led to an induction by the Gridiron Secret Society. Tony went on to receive his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, and completed his final residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, in the early 1970s where he trained under the co-founder of the silicone breast implant. Like his father, Tony wanted to open his own practice in Marietta, so he returned home and founded Plastic Surgery Center of the South, which he ran and operated successfully for more than 40 years. Dr. Tony Musarra was a talented surgeon and a people person, making patients feel like his best friend. But he was also committed and dedicated to the advancement of medicine, particularly its intersection with politics. He dedicated many years of his life to the Cobb County Medical Society, serving as its president in 1999 and remaining active on the board until his death. In 1982, he worked with Kennestone Hospital to advance the practice of oxygen therapy wound care for patients; in 1992 he served as the president of The Georgia Society of Plastic Surgeons; in 2003 he collected checks for Gov. Sonny Perdue’s campaign and educated legislators on the importance of the patient / physician relationship; and in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina he helped organize the Cobb Medical Reserve Corp., which provided emergency training to physicians. More important to him than these accomplishments were his friendships and his family, for whom he would move mountains. He was generous, kind, loving, fun, free-spirited and had friends of all ages all over the world. He loved to hunt, golf, and fish – wherever his friends were, so was he. On the golf course he also found success, hitting a hole in one at his Marietta Country Club on May 1, 2011 with his lifelong golfing buddies there to witness this momentous occasion. The Augusta National Golf Club could be called his home away from home, as he never missed a single Master’s Golf Tournament in 54 years. He married his beloved wife, Carole Cole Musarra, in 2006, and together they were active members of Northside United Methodist Church, patrons of Atlanta institutions such as the Fox Theatre and the High Museum of Art, and members of many organizations such as the Atlanta History Center and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. They enjoyed traveling and spending time with their friends, children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, his son Schiaffino Musarra and his wife Joanna Tisell; his two stepdaughters, Hadley Creekmuir and her husband Will, and Marion Meythaler and her husband Nick; his grandchildren Saga and Isac Musarra, Lanier and William Creekmuir, and Lachlan Meythaler; his brother and sister Bill Musarra and Laura Musarra; and his niece Nicolette Musarra Puckett. A visitation will be held Friday, March 17 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. at Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home in Marietta, Georgia, and a celebration of life service on Saturday, March 18 at 11 a.m. at Northside United Methodist Church followed by a reception at the church. The burial will be held 4:00 pm immediately following the reception at Carrollton City Cemetery in Carrollton, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in memory of Tony to the Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (abc2.org), Northside United Methodist Church or the Piedmont Hospital Brain Tumor Center Foundation. www.mayeswarddobbins.com 770-428-1511

Dr. E. Anthony "Tony" Musarra

October 18, 1943 - March 15, 2017