Dr. J. Dwight Whitt

Dr. James Dwight Whitt was born on May 4, 1920, the son of the late John Walter Whitt, Sr. and Elise Lee Freeman Whitt. He was a 1938 graduate of Appalachia High School, where he was Salutatorian.

He attended Milligan College, Duke University and Virginia Tech for his undergraduate studies. While attending VPI, Dr. Whitt worked at night as an analytical chemist at Radford Ordinance Works, where he tested explosives for the US Army during World War II. After graduating from VPI, he attended and graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. His internship was spent at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, IN. He spent an additional year there as a resident, then came to Holston Valley Community Hospital in Kingsport to serve a year as a resident physician. His year was interrupted when he left to study post-graduate cardiology at Harvard University School of Medicine. At Harvard, Dr. Whitt studied under President Dwight D. Eisenhower's personal cardiologist, Dr. Paul White and Dr. Sam LeVine. After returning to Kingsport and completing his time as resident physician, Dr. Whitt finished his residency at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, TN. He returned to Kingsport and practiced general surgery from 1952-1997, where he was on the staff of HVCH and IPH. He was on the steering committee that initially brought Indian Path Hospital to Kingsport. When IPH opened in 1974, Dr. Whitt performed the first major surgery in that facility.

He was commissioned as a Captain in the TN Army National Guard in 1948, and served for 22 years. During that time, Dr. Whitt served as Battalion Commander and Division Surgeon. He retired as a full Colonel.

Dr. Whitt always felt his patients were his friends and treated them as such. Each patient felt as if they were special. He had an especially good rapport with children, making them feel at ease. He often said, "I had a lot of good little patients. I taught them not to be afraid of doctors."

Dr. Whitt loved collecting recipes and cookbooks, baking pound cakes, traveling, reading, good music, shopping, and being with people. His wit, charm and warmth will be sorely missed.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, John Walter Whitt, Jr.; sisters, Helen Whitt Garner, Virginia W. Mabry, Mildred S. Whitt; and special niece, Carol Mildred Whitt.

He is survived by his brother, H. Jackson Whitt and wife, Joanne; niece, Kathy W. Visneski and husband Mike; their children, Sarah and Ben; special nephew, Thomas J. Whitt and wife, Pamela, their children, Kristen, Thomas, Tiffany, Mary and Kaitlyn; other nieces and nephews, David, Lee, Mark and Marianne Mabry, Steve and Robert Garner, Kay Fecher and Coleen Bell.

The family will receive friends from 1-2pm on Monday, January 17, 2011 at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home. The service will begin at 2 pm with Brother Pete Barbour officiating. Graveside services will follow at Holston View Cemetery in Weber City, VA with Military graveside rites conducted by the American Legion Posts #3/265 and the Virginia National Guard.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Alzheimer's Association, 207 N. Boone Street, Suite 1500, Johnson City, TN 37604.