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Submitted: 5/1/23 • Approved: 5/1/23 • Last Updated: 5/4/23 • R249797-G249797-S3
August 13, 1926 - August 27, 2011
Dr. Martha Williams McDonald, an early pioneer in the field of nuclear medicine and a member of one of Chattanooga’s most prominent families, died at her home on Lookout Mountain early Wednesday morning. She was 88 years old.
Martha was a delight to all who knew her and was wonderfully inquisitive about everything under the sun up until the time of her death. She was a gifted writer, a talented doctor, a computer whiz and had a deep compassion for anyone who suffered. She was particularly touched by her late brother Frank’s intensely brave fight against Lou Gehrig’s disease and took great pleasure in explaining sickness and health to both the youngest and oldest members of her family in ways they could readily understand.
Martha, the second of five children born to the late Roy and Elizabeth McDonald, was educated at the Girls Preparatory School and earned a degree in music at Rollins College before becoming enthralled with medicine while working in the lab at Erlanger Hospital.
Upon returning to college to take the courses required for medical school, she was further inspired by Prof. Irvine Grote (who invented Rolaids and Bufferin, among other things) and was soon accepted at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. Upon completing her residency, she trained in endocrinology at the University of Oregon and nuclear medicine when the specialty was in its infancy at the University of Alabama.
She returned to Chattanooga as a board-certified internist at the old Campbell Clinic and later accepted a position in nuclear medicine at the Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center in Anniston, Ala. She was then hired as the Acting Chairman and a Professor in the Dept. of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Services in Memphis.
Upon retirement, she took keen delight in emerging computer technology, the stock market, gardening and her extended family. In addition she was quite active in the operation and planning at the family farm in Sale Creek, where she will be buried in the beloved family cemetery.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her younger brother Frank K. McDonald, who followed his father as the Publisher of the former Chattanooga News-Free Press, and her younger sister, famed printmaker Nancy Reinke. She is survived by two sisters, Helen Exum of Lookout Mountain, and Betsy (Lee) Anderson of Chattanooga.
She adored her family and, as they grew up during outings at the farm, Martha was easily the funniest aunt to the nieces and nephews she could talk into any adventure or seemingly get out of any mishap. Her “accomplances” in jokes, laughter and merriment were:
Helen’s and Kinch’s children are Kinch (deceased), Roy Exum of Lookout Mountain, Jonathan Exum of Rising Fawn, Ga., Franklin (deceased), Susan Exum of Conway, S.C., and Ellen Raoul of Vandalia, Ohio.
Betsy’s and Lee’s children are Corinne (Jeff) Adams of Atlanta and Mary Stewart Anderson of Atlanta.
Frank’s and Mimi’s children are Elizabeth (deceased), Frank S. McDonald of Chattanooga, Jane (deceased) and Corinne (Tim) Hennen of Lookout Mountain
Nancy’s and Roger’s children are Jeannie (Perry) Zoldak of Orlando, Fla., Martha (Bob) Netherton of Dillon, Colo., Bryan (Vickie) Reinke of Fairfax, Va., and David (Karen) Reinke of Takoma Park, MD.
Martha had many close friendship. Among those most special to her were Dollye Edmondson, Nancy Hayes, and Eleanor Davies. She also deeply appreciated her gracious care-givers; Pat Sharp, Tonya Sharp and Deborah Douglas.
Funeral services will be conducted at a private family gathering at the McDonald Farm cemetery where her parents, her sister and other generations of family members have been laid to rest since 1836.
In lieu of flowers her friends are encouraged to make memorial donations to Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee, 50 Vantage Way, Suite 102, Nashville, TN 37228; The ALS Association --Tennessee Chapter, P.O. Box 40244, Nashville, TN 37204-0244, or to a charity of one’s choice.
Please visit www.heritagefh.com to share words of comfort to the family.
Contributed on 5/1/23
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Record #: 249797
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