Albert W. Diddle

Diddle, Albert W., M.D., age 100, of Knoxville, passed away early Wednesday morning, December 23, 2009 at Elmcroft Center of West Knoxville. He was born on July 1, 1909 in Caldwell County, Missouri. Dr. Diddle graduated from the University of Missouri and Yale Medical School. He completed his residency in obstetrics/gynecology at the University of Iowa, where he met his wife, the late R.J. King Diddle. Dr. Diddle served in the United States Navy, serving as a lieutenant commander and was stationed in the Pacific and China during World War II as a naval physician. He obtained additional training in gynecological surgery, specializing in oncology at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. While in Dallas, he also taught at Southwest Medical Center. Dr. Diddle and his family then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1948, opened his practice and was the first Board-Certified Ob-Gyn in Knoxville. Dr. Diddle later affiliated with Fort Sanders Ob-Gyn Associates. Dr. Diddle always loved teaching and was on staff at the University of Tennessee, where he taught Marriage and Family. He was on the original planning committee for establishing and building the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, TN and later started and chaired the Ob-Gyn Residency program there for many years. Along with one of his partners, Dr. William Gardner, he was one of the original researchers on birth control pills and published many papers on the subject. Dr. Diddle also wrote over 130 published professional articles during his lifetime, as well as chapters on Obstetrics and Gynecology in many textbooks. He was a longtime board examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics/Gynecology and received numerous awards and honors for his work in the field. Over his long personal and professional life, Dr. Diddle impacted, saved and prolonged many lives. A.W. was preceded in death by his wife, R.J. King Diddle; parents, Jesse and Laura Edwards Diddle of Missouri and his sister, Virginia Elizabeth Diddle Wartig of Kansas City, Missouri. A.W. is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Dr. John and Debbie Diddle of Knoxville, TN; daughter and son-in-law, Jane and the Honorable Hugh Thompson of Milledgeville, GA; grandchildren and their spouses, William and Shannon Thompson, Dr. Edward and Katie Thompson, Dr. Wes Diddle and Dr. Sabrina Guse, Walker and Meghan Diddle and Abby Diddle Flowers and Graydon Flowers; great grandchildren, John Wallace Thompson, Charlotte and Emmy Thompson, and Allie Harris Flowers, and Murphy Diddle. The family request that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the memory of Dr. A.W. Diddle, c/o The University of Tennessee Medical Center Development Office, 1520 Cherokee Trail, Suite 110, Knoxville, TN 37920 to further his love of teaching and training in his beloved profession.

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Albert W. Diddle

July 1, 1909 - December 23, 2009