Dr. Benjamin Watkins Rawles Jr.

  General Notes:

Obituary of Dr. Benjamin Watkins Rawles:

Dr. Rawles Succumbs At Age 60

Dr. Benjamin Watkins Rawles Jr., of 2 Paxton Rd., a past president of the Richmond Academy of Medicine and a former chief of staff at Richmond Memorial Hospital, died Thursday of leukemia. He was 60 years old.
A graduate of the University of Virginia, Dr. Rawles began practicing medicine here in 1937 and was elected chief of staff of Richmond Memorial Hospital in 1959 and 1960. He was also chief of surgery at the hospital in 1958 and 1959.
During World War II, he served with the 45th General Hospital, and after two and one­half years of duty in North Africa and Italy, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for outstanding service and meritorious achievement.
In 1945, after four years of service, he was discharged from active duty. He had attained the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Remained a Consultant
The next year, Dr. Rawles was appointed a civilian consultant to the Secretary of War under the Armed Services Medical Consultant Program. He remained a consultant for the remainder of his life.
He became chief surgeon of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad in 1951, and in 1961, he was also appointed chief surgeon of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
Also, he was a member of the attending staffs at the Retreat for the Sick Hospital, Sheltering Arms Hospital, Medical College of Virginia Hospital, and St. Mary's Hospital.
He was a vestryman at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, and a former senior warden.

Belonged to Organizations
Dr. Rawles also was a member and officer of numerous professional, civic and social organizations, including Kappa Alpha Order and Alpha Omega Alpha.
He was a former president of the Southern Surgeons Club, the Virginia Unit of the American Cancer Society, the Virginia Surgical Association, the Medical Alumni Association of the University of Virginia, the Richmond Surgical Society, and the Excelsior Surgical Society, an organization of Army surgeons.
In addition, he a board member of Blue Shield Plan for Surgical Care, and vice president of the Southern Surgical Association.
Dr. Rawles was a member of the Medical Society of Virginia, the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the Southeastern Surgical Congress and the Southern Medical Association.

Former Rotarian
He also belonged to the Society of the Cincinnati, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Society of Virginia Creepers, and he was a former member of the Richmond Hundred.
A board member of the Commonwealth Club, Dr. Rawles was a member of the Country Club of Virginia, and a former member of the Rotary Club.
He is survived by his wife Mrs. Helen Hodges Rawles, a daughter, Helen Hodges Rawles; a stepson, John Bruce James Jr.; a sister, Mrs. 0. Garland Flippen; and three brothers, James W., Robert B. and John. G. Rawles, all of Richmond.
A funeral service will be held at 1l a.m. Saturday at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church with burial in Hollywood Cemetery. The family requests that flowers be omitted.

Benjamin married Living