Calvin Morgan

Dr. Calvin Vere Morgan, Jr., born February 12, 1937, passed away surrounded by his family on September 23, 2021. Dr. Morgan was a Johnson City native and the son of the late Dr. Calvin Vere Morgan, Sr. and Mary Will Buff Morgan.

Calvin was a graduate of Science Hill High School, Davidson College, Duke University Medical School and completed his surgical residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital. After graduation from Duke University Medical School, he was commissioned in the US Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. He served as a flight surgeon on the USS Intrepid and was onboard the Intrepid during the successful recovery of the Gemini III capsule on March 23, 1965.
Returning to Johnson City in 1971, Dr. Morgan joined Drs. Carroll Long and Gilbert Rannick at Johnson City Surgical Associates. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Tennessee Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, where he served as the chapter president for two terms. Throughout his medical career he was known for his dedication to the care of his patients. He retired in 2001.

Dr. Morgan was on the staff of Johnson City Medical Center and served as an Associate Professor of Surgery at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University and the Quillen Veteran Affairs Medical Center. He especially enjoyed his interactions and relationships with medical students and surgical residents and continued to communicate with and mentor them during their careers. Dr. Morgan maintained lifelong relationships with friends from high school, college and medical school.

Calvin spent many active years as a member of the United States Power Squadron, the Society of Aquatic Medicine and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. He was also a longtime member of the Kappa Alpha order and the Hurstleigh Club.

Dr. Morgan is survived by: his wife of 30 years, Mary Middlebrooks Morgan; daughter, Mary Buff Morgan and her husband Marco Vallat, of San Francisco; daughter, Catherine Lynn Morgan, also of San Francisco; two stepsons, Leland Ivey Hyer, of Raleigh, NC and Brooks Hyer, of Knoxville; two grandsons, Morgan Pierre Vallat and Maxime Laurent Vallat; a nephew, Bill Skinner and his wife, Jolie, and their children Laura and John, of Raleigh, NC; as well as, a niece, McLeod Skinner, of Raleigh, NC.

Dr. Morgan was preceded in death by one sister, Harriet M. Skinner; one brother-in-law, William P. Skinner, both of Raleigh, NC.

Calvin will be remembered as a loving husband, father, stepfather and grandfather. His family will always have their memories of seeing him proudly walk his daughter, Buff, down the aisle during her wedding to Marco. He will also be remembered for the time he spent at Science Hill and club soccer with Lee and Brooks and their teammates, as well as the summers spent with grandsons Max and Morgan for whom he held “redneck camp” and taught them to fish for trout at the creek near his home on Spivey Mountain.

Contributions may be made to the Quillen College of Medicine or Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church.

A memorial service for Dr. Morgan will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, October 2, 2021, at Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church. Dr. Morgan’s friend, Rev. Michael Lester, will officiate. Following the service, in lieu of visitation the family will receive friends in the Gathering Place at Munsey.