William Robert "Bob" Routon ~ Obituary

Church and graveside services for general surgeon and former Paris resident William Robert "Bob" Routon, M.D., of Humboldt were conducted Sunday.

The first service was held at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Humboldt. The graveside service followed at 5:30 p.m. in Maplewood Cemetery in Paris, with David Allbritten officiating at the graveside.

Pallbearers were Will, Erich, Wesley and Stuart Routon and Elliott, Andrew and Grant Montgomery.

Visitation was Sunday at the church in Humboldt.

Ridgeway Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Routon, 65, died from a pulmonary embolism Thursday, April 26, 2012, at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

Born Jan. 8, 1947, in Fulton, Ky., he was a son of Joe and Virginia Rucker Routon, now both deceased.

A 1965 Grove High School graduate, he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine in Memphis, where he received his medical doctor degree in 1973.

His internship in surgery was at City of Memphis hospitals, followed by a general surgery residency at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital, where he was chief resident surgeon. He did post-doctoral study at Duke University, earning a master’s degree in biomedical engineering.

Since 1982, Routon had been chief general surgeon at Humboldt General Hospital, also serving as part-time emergency room physician when needed.

A family member said Routon was a multi-talented person, with interests in computers, photography and art, adding he was particularly skilled in oil painting and did illustrations for several medical textbooks.

He leaves a son, Rob Routon, and daughter, Emily Routon, both of Germantown; three sisters: Amy (Monty) Montgomery of Franklin, Boogle Bradley of Brentwood and Velma (Tim) Huggins of Cordova; three brothers: Joe (Joyce Ann) Routon Jr. of Haddonfield, N.J., Ed (Jan) Routon of Nashville and Phil (Marsha) Routon of Paris; one aunt: Val Routon; and three cousins: Gini Williams, Stephanie Tayloe and Richard (Sheila) Routon.

Memorials may be made to Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute, Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center, Suite 9211, 1215 21st Ave. S., Nashville 37232.

Reprinted from THE PARIS POST-INTELLIGENCER
Paris, Tennessee
April 30 , 2012 Edition ~ Used by Permission