Thomas "Tom" Otis Sturkie

Thomas Otis Sturkie (Tom) of Marietta, Ga. died peacefully at his residence in Vinings Ga. on Friday, November 3rd. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Wednesday November 8th at the Mayes Ward Funeral home in Marietta. The family will receive friends from 11:00 am to noon at the funeral home and at the Marietta Country Club after the service. A private burial to follow at Parkhill Cemetery in Columbus, Ga. Tom was born in Columbus, Ga. on September 20, 1933. Son of the late Otis Earl Sturkie and Mary Jim Brawner, he grew up in Columbus and graduated from Columbus High School. He attended Georgia Tech and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1954. Upon graduation he went on to the Medical College of Georgia where he received his doctorate of medicine, and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical society. Tom completed his medical internship at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, and his residency in orthopaedic surgery in Augusta, after which he and his family settled in Marietta, Georgia. He was one of the founders of Marietta Orthopaedics, now known as Pinnacle Orthopaedics. He and his founding partners, Paul Payne M.D., and Frank McKinnon M.D., built a thriving medical practice that provided orthopaedic care to thousands of patients in the North Georgia area. Tom was widely recognized as an outstanding surgeon, and was elected by his peers to serve as president of the Georgia Orthopaedic Society. Upon retirement from his medical practice Tom established a fast food franchise territory in North Georgia. He and his business partner, Lyn Crooms, built a successful franchise that had over 100 locations when they elected to sell it. Tom served in the United States Army, as a physician, during the Vietnam war, and was stationed at Ft. Campbell KY. During this time he treated soldiers that were wounded while serving our country. After a little over two years of service he was honorably discharged after reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel and returned to his practice in Marietta. He had a deep respect for those that serve in our military and the sacrifices they make, and he actively supported several military charities. Tom had several hobbies but his passion was sailing. He hand-built his first sailboat while serving in the military, and was an avid sailor from that day forward. Over the years Tom and his wife Mary owned several sailboats and enjoyed sharing time on the water with many friends and family. When not working he could be found at Hilton Head, Destin FL, the Virgin Islands, the Abaco Islands chain in the Bahamas or any other exciting place where he and his family could “drop anchor”. He had his Coast Guard Pilot’s license and proudly maintained it until his health made it difficult to maneuver around a sailboat. Upon retiring from actively sailing, his continued love of the water led him and Mary to take adventurous cruises and see all sorts of interesting ports of call. In his last few years his attention turned to his stamp collection. Tom was an accomplished philatelist and was happy to spend hours each day researching and cataloging stamps. When asked recently about this dedication he remarked ”I need to get this organized so one of my children or grandchildren can continue the collection”. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother Craig. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Mary Sturkie, his four children Lisa Greenberg (Stephen) of Atlanta, Bill Sturkie (Renee) of Columbus, Ga., Carter Sturkie (Sharon) of Winston- Salem N.C., and Keenan Sturkie of Marietta and eight grandchildren: Julia Greenberg French (Wes), Libby Greenberg Overton (Will), Chris Greenberg, Rhoades Sturkie, Savanna Sturkie, Elisa Sturkie, Katie Hill Sturkie and Amelia Sturkie as well as his cousin Dayton Preston his sister-in-law Ann Summerlin Sturkie and his two nieces, Susan Sturkie Gentry and Sara Sturkie Wilson. The family would like to express its sincere gratitude to Wellstar Community Hospice for their unwavering support over the past few months. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House of West Georgia, 1959 Hamilton Road, Columbus Ga. 31904, Disabled American Veterans, 995 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060, or a charity of your choice.

Thomas "Tom" Otis Sturkie

September 20, 1933 - November 3, 2017