Obituary of Paul Ogburn

Dr. Paul Lanier "Lanny" Ogburn, who led a remarkable life, left this world to be with his maker on November 12, 2011 at 9:20am. He was the only child of Reverend Nicholas Snethen Ogburn, Jr. and Maude Shuford Hoyle Ogburn of Monroe, NC. Lanny was born in 1922 in Kobe, Japan where his father was a Southern Methodist Missionary and a teacher of Bible and English. He grew up and was educated in Japan, and visited the US only twice before WWII. He attended Canadian Academy in Kobe until age 18, when he and his mother returned back to the US. His father remained in Japan, taking care of the family household and school affairs, until just 2 weeks before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Lanny attended Duke University where he received his pre-medical, medical, & surgical training all in 6 years, and where he met his future wife, Merlene Virginia Green, who was a nursing student. He was sent to Texas where he trained as an Army Flight Surgeon. He was married to Merlene in 1947 in Charlotte, NC where his father performed the ceremony. He was immediately shipped out to Japan as part of the 5th Air Force occupation of the Southern Island of Kyushu. Merlene soon followed and the next year, their eldest son, Paul Lanier Ogburn, Jr was born. After four years of Service in the AF, the new family moved to Atlanta to attend Emory University where Lanny studied pathology. From Emory he was accepted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochestor, Minnesota where he received his advanced surgical training; his next three sons were born over that time, Nicholas, David, and Mark. While there he met Dr. Davis of Statesville, NC who offered him a position in his hospital, Davis Hospital. Lanny and family moved to Statesville in 1954, where he served as general surgeon for over 30 years, and where they had their daughter, Ginger. Dr. Ogburn was truly a remarkable man: for some years served as the only surgeon at Davis Hospital and performed C-sections, to hip replacements, to throat surgery; he could speak 5 languages (Japanese fluently); built ham radios that he used to communicate with others around the world; served on Statesville city council; served as doctor for several Methodist mission teams in Central America, and taught his children "if you are not going to do it right, don't do it at all". His excellence and legacy lives on. He is survived by his wife: Merlene; children: Dr. Paul Lanier Ogburn, Jr. (wife: Susan Lawson), Dr. Nicholas Lee Ogburn (wife: Martha Davis), Dr. David Hoyle Ogburn (wife: Lauren Avellone), Sandi Ogburn Walters (widow of Mark Dallow Ogburn), Virginia "Ginger" Ogburn-Matthews (husband: Richard Harley Matthews); grandchildren: Eric Lawson Ogburn, Brandon Lee Ogburn (wife: Michele Macon), Ryan Christopher Ogburn (wife: Vira Mollock), Stacey Nicole Ogburn Shelton, Nicholas Theodore Ogburn, Tiffany Matthews Stewart, and Crystal Miranda Matthews; three nieces: Arla Julia Plasky, Debra McGee Sebastian, Pam Davidson Schaefer; one nephew: John Dallow Davidson, one grand niece: Jennifer Schaefer & one grand nephew Alan David Plasky; ten great grandchildren, two great grand nieces & one great grand nephew, and many double first cousins in the Charlotte area. There will be a brief memorial service and visitation at Georgetown Presbyterian Church on Black River Road on Tuesday, November 15th starting at 11AM. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations/memorials be made in Dr. Ogburn's name to any of the following charities: Tidelands Community Hospice in Georgetown, SC (http://www.tidelandshospice.org/pages/donate), Alzheimer's Foundation of America (http://www.alzfdn.org/ContributetoAFA/makeadonation.html), Waccamaw Area Family Caregiver Support Program (Jennifer Gray, RN @ 843-546-4231 x107), Saint Frances Animal Center of Georgetown, SC (http://www.sfanimals.org/) or any Humane Society of your wishes.