William J. Cone, M.D.

William Joseph Cone, M.D. of Johnson City, TN died on Sunday, July 24 after a brief illness. He was born November 28, 1936 in Rome, Georgia. His parents were LaMearle Cook Cone of Pine Mountain, Georgia and William Oscar Cone of Rome, Georgia. In Atlanta, where he moved at the age of eight, he attended Highland Avenue Grammar School and Bass High School. Tulane University awarded him a full tuition scholarship for the years 1954-58. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and president of the fraternity his senior year. He was also a member and secretary of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity. In 1958 he entered the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta. He graduated with his medical degree in 1962. While there he was a member or the Phi Chi Fraternity and president of the Milton Antony History of Medicine Society. His rotating internship and his obstetrics and gynecology residency were at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Francisco from 1962-67. During this period, he was introduced to Harriet Danielson, a pediatric nurse. They were married May 29, 1965 at her home in Windham, Connecticut. Dr. Cone served in the United States Navy at the Long Beach Naval Hospital from 1967-69. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In January 1969, the Cones moved to Johnson City, Tennessee where he and Dillard M. Sholes, Jr., M.D. established the Medical Center OBGyn practice which, before his retirement, grew to include seven other partners in the newly established Johnson City Specialty Hospital. Dr. Cone retired in 1996. His special interests, while practicing, were fertility work and the LaMaze method of prepared childbirth. He was Board Certified by the American Board of OBGyn. He was a Fellow of the American College of OBGyn, a member of the American Fertility Society, a Diplomat of the American Board of OBGyn, and a member of the Royal Society of Medicine, London. He was a life-long tennis player who, after retirement, was a member of several USTA teams and competed in both state and regional tournaments. He read avidly (mostly mysteries) and collected first editions of twentieth century authors. He enjoyed writing and had numerous critiques, short stories and profiles published, as well as four books. He was an enthusiastic gardener and bread baker, and he loved chocolate malts and chocolate covered doughnuts. He liked to sketch with pencil, he designed and completed many works of crewel embroidery, and he won an award with his first submission to an art show. He and his wife enjoyed traveling in Europe and to tennis matches throughout the U.S. and in Australia. He was a member of St. John?s Episcopal Church and served on the vestry for six years, including one term as Senior Warden. He was a member of the Hurstleigh Club. He also served on the boards of the Dawn of Hope, the Johnson City Arts Council, Contact Ministries, and the Johnson City Public Library Foundation. Dr. Cone is survived by his beloved wife Harriet, his daughter Leslie Pagnotta and her husband Giovanni and grandson Vincenzo William, and his daughter Cynthia Cone and granddaughters Estelle Birdie Slingsby and Scarlet Lux Slingsby. The service will be Saturday, July 30 at 2 p.m. at St. John?s Episcopal Church. Officiating clergy will be the Rev. Dr. Hal T. Hutchison, the Rev. C. Christopher Clements, and the Rev. Margaret K. Zeller. A reception in the parish hall will follow. Pallbearers are Stephen Edmondson, M.D., Louis Gump, A. B. McCreary, M.D., James Rich, Richard Rolen, M.D., Brooke Stanley, Larry Taylor, and the Rev. Bedford Transou. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to: St. John?s Episcopal Church Building Fund, 500 North Roan St., Johnson City, TN 37601 www.stjohnstn.org; the Johnson City Public Library Foundation, c/o East Tennessee Foundation, 520 West Summit Hill Dr., Ste. 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902, the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra Foundation, PO Box 533, Johnson City, TN 37605 www.jcsymphony.com; the Roan Scholarship Program, ETSU Foundation, Box 70721, Johnson City, TN 37614 http://roanscholars.org; or the ETSU Rome Program, c/o Chief of Staff, Box 70721, Johnson City, TN 37614 www.ETSUrome.com.