Cary Don Hardison M.D.

Cary Don Hardison, M.D., also called Don, or Doctor Don, or Doctor H, "the doc", or sometimes CD, died on July 15, 2024. Dr. Don was 84 years old.

The only child of Roderrick Hardison and Ruth Spears Hardison, Dr. Hardison was born on September 4, 1939, in the Ousler Clinic in Humboldt, TN. He grew up on his parents' small 27-acre farm 4 miles outside Humboldt, Tennessee. His father was a carpenter and his mother worked in a shoe store. With his parents' support and encouragement, he completed pre-med in the then-Memphis State University, and went on to graduate from the University of Tennessee with an M.D. in June of 1964.

After graduation from medical school, Dr. Hardison did an internship in USAF Hospital Carswell, Texas, and served for three more years on active duty as the Chief of the General Practice Clinic and Emergency Room at Keesler USAF Medical Center, in Biloxi, MS. A residency in general surgery at Baptist Memorial Hospital and the VA Medical Center in Memphis was followed by a year of private practice in Memphis, after which he moved to Columbus Georgia where he was the Chief of the Emergency room in the Medical Center. Divorced from his first wife after 9 years, he met Jennifer Sims, a school teacher in 1973, when she came to the ER as a patient following a minor automobile accident. Within a year they embarked on a 50 year marriage and adventure. They had no children but treasured a series of canine companions.

The Hardisons moved in 1974 to Martinsville, Virginia, where Dr. Hardison was the chief of the emergency room-back before emergency rooms merited the title of Department. After a year and half in that position, Dr. Hardison returned to active duty in the USAF. The Hardisons moved across the country to Travis AFB in California where Don became the chief of the Primary Care Department.

The Hardisons' 22 year Air Force adventures took them to Travis AFB in California, Hill AFB in Utah, Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, Eielson AFB in Michigan, and Sheppard AFB in Texas. Don retired from the USAF in 1992 and returned to the civilian practice of emergency medicine in Georgia.

Dr. H's USAF duty assignments included Chief of Primary Care Department in David Grant Medical Center, Chief of Primary Care Clinic and the Hospital Services at USAF Hospital Hill, Chairman of the Emergency Department at Wright Patterson Medical Center, Commander of USAF Clinic Eielson, Hospital Commander and Director of Base Medical Services at Wurtsmith AFB, and Chief of the Physician Extender Branch in the 3790 Medical Services Training Wing at Sheppard AFB, TX, where he also was the medical director of the USAH Physician Assistant training program.

During his medical career Dr. Hardison held academic teaching appointments at medical schools including University of California-Davis, University of Nebraska, Wright State University, and Emory University.

Dr. Hardison became a charter member of the American College of Emergency Physicians in 1971, was certified as a specialist by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in 1982, and appointed as Consultant in Emergency Medicine to the USAF Surgeon General in 1982. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel (0-6) in 1982. He was a graduate of the USAF primary Aerospace Medicine Course and certified as a flight surgeon, and was certified by the American Heart Association as instructor in Advanced Cardiac and Pediatric Life Support, and as an instructor in the American College of Surgeons' Advanced Trama Life Support course. He also served as Regional and National Faculty in the AHA's ACLS program.

Retiring from the USAF active duty in 1992, Don became the Regional Medical Director overseeing emergency room contracts in 28 hospitals in the Southeast U.S. as an associate of the Spectrum Staffing Company. He some concluded that he didn't enjoy the politics and the stress of "Big Business," and he and Jennifer started searching for the "perfect" location to put down roots. After looking at a lot of communities and medical practices, they ended up moving to Athens, Tennessee in 1996. He was Chief of Emergency Services in Athens Regional Medical Center, and a member of the medical staff in the ER at both Athens Regional Medical Center and Woods Memorial Hospital in Etowah.

Gradually reducing the number of shifts because of medical problems and "just getting older and not doing night shift so well," Dr. Hardison finally retired from clinical practice in 2015. After serving as an associate Medical Examiner to Dr. Bill Foree for a few years, when Dr. Foree retired Don was "persuaded" to take on the role of County Medical Examiner, which he continued even after retirement from clinical practice. He retired from the M.E. position in October 2019.

Don and Jennifer have shared a love of nature and photography (he gave her a 35MM camera as a wedding present!), and practiced the policy of "take only pictures, leave only footprints." Over many years they enjoyed sharing their photography with a variety of audiences. Don was the "technical advisor" and Jennifer the photographer ("the Bird Lady").

In honor of his wishes, there will be no formal services at this time. If any of Don's friends, acquaintances, or colleagues wish to do something to remember Don, he has requested you take your family out to dinner as nothing is as important as quality time with your family. He also asked if you wish to remember him, consider a memorial to the McMinn Regional Humane Society, 320 South Jackson Street Athens, TN 37303.

You are encouraged to share a memory of Don and/or your personal condolences with his family by visiting his memorial webpage and guestbook at www.companionfunerals.com. Companion Funeral Home of Athens and the Cody family are honored to assist his family with these arrangements.