Edward W. Vaughan

  General Notes:

The obituary for Edwin W. Vaughan
was published in News Record of Greensboro, NC from June 30 to July 1, 2008
GREENSBORO - Dr. Edwin W. Vaughan, 96, passed away on Friday, June 27, 2008, at his home. A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, at First Baptist Church with Dr. Ken Massey, Rev. John Willett and Dr. Steve Pressley officiating. There will be a private burial prior to the service. Dr. Vaughan was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on February 12, 1912, to Conan and Estelle Vaughan. He graduated from the College of William and Mary, the University Of Virginia School Of Medicine and completed his internship at the Medical College of Virginia. During World War II, he served as physician for the Overseas Replacement Depot in Greensboro. He was the area Railroad Physician for Southern Railway. In 1943, he became the first Doctor in North Carolina to use penicillin. Dr. Bob Phillips wrote, "The entire city was aware of the medical drama, as it was faithfully recorded in the local paper. No other earlier cases of the use of penicillin have been reported in this state, but through diligent documentation, and good memory of this 89-year-old, we have a bona fide record." Dr. Vaughan was inducted into the 50-Year Club of the N.C. Medical Society in 1987. He began his practice in Greensboro in 1940 as a partner in the Gilmore clinic where he served until his retirement. Following his retirement from private practice he served as Medical Director for Southern Life Insurance Company for 10 years. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Greensboro, for over 60 years, where he served as a Deacon, Finance Team Member and Teacher of the Vanguard Sunday School Class. He was one of three founders of the John Willett Bible Study, which continues today with over 250 men in attendance each Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. He served as co-teacher for the Downtown Bible Class. Dr. Vaughan served faithfully with the Piedmont Baptist Association. In 1989 he donated his farm on Sharpe Road to the PBA. The property now houses the headquarters for the Association. He loved working with his devoted friend, John Reagin, in his garden at the farm, and had a passion for growing camellias. He and Harry Smith formed the Greensboro Camellia Society. He was a recipient of the 2002 North Carolina Baptist Heritage Award in grateful appreciation for his exemplary service to the North Carolina Baptist Foundation. Dr. Vaughan had a passion for Missions, serving on many mission trips overseas. He celebrated his 90th birthday on a Mission Trip in Chile working on an island with no power and running water and only accessible by "line drawn" ferry. He enjoyed recalling lifetime experiences. He especially loved to share events of his 1933 trip to California in his Model T Ford with his cousin William Lindsay and friend Norman Cox. Doc slept on top of the car each night of the 28-day adventure. When young Ed Vaughan drove down Highway 70 to Greensboro in March of 1940, the dogwood blossoms put a spell on him. All the beauty hypnotized him into deciding Greensboro would be his new home. Now, 68 years later, he never regretted that decision. He was a kind, loving and generous man who will be greatly missed by family, friends and the entire community. His touch on our hearts and lives will remain forever. He was preceded in death by his parents; wives, Mildred Pritchard Vaughan and Grace Gipe Vaughan; daughter, Jean Vaughan Ward, and brother, Conan W. Vaughan. He is survived by his wife, Monica Slate Vaughan; granddaughter, Kristal Howan Halkyer and husband, Todd; great-grandsons, Hudson and Ethan Halkyer, of Greensboro; cousins, William Lindsay and wife, Gin, of Currituck, N.C., Jean Darden and husband, Hunter, of Franklin, Virginia; stepchildren, Stephanie Frazier of Greensboro, Joan Gordon and husband, Frank, of Munds Park, Ariz., and Ken Gipe of Las Vegas, Nev.; step-grandchildren, Meredith Frazier of Greensboro, Candy Lander and husband, Scott, of Kingman, Ariz., and Trey Gordon and wife, Ruth, of Kingman, Ariz.; step-great- grandchildren, Elisha Blickenstaff and husband, Joel, Scott Lander and wife, Jamie, and Brandee Proffitt. He is also survived by his devoted mother and father-in-law, Jack and Edith Slate of Greensboro, and his faithful friend and canine companion of nine years, Minnie. Friends of the family will be received from 6 until 8 p.m. on Monday at Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home, 515 North Elm Street. Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, 1000 W. Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27401, or to Piedmont Baptist Association, 2009 Sharpe Road, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27406.

Edward married Mildred Pritchard, daughter of Joseph Albert Pritchard and Sophia Love Burnham. (Mildred Pritchard was born on 20 Jul 1908 in South Mills Township, Camden Co., NC and died on 11 Nov 1976 in Greensboro, Guilford Co., N.C..)