Ballard Weddington Cassady (1921 - 2009)

Born 26 Aug 1921 in Pike County, Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Died 4 Oct 2009 at age 88 in Pike County, Kentucky, United States

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Biography

Dr. Ballard Weddington Cassady

Age: 88

Visitation: Visitation will be 6pm until 9pm Tuesday in the J.W. Call Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral Service: Funeral services will be 1:00p.m. Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at the First Christian Church of Pikeville.

Interment: Burial will follow in the Johnson Memorial Park at Pikeville, Kentucky.

Ballard Weddington Cassady passed away on October 4th at the Pikeville Medical Center, where he practiced medicine before his retirement in 1986. During a medical career that included post-war service in Japan and 32 years as a general surgeon in Pikeville, Dr. Cassady also served the Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) as President and Chairman of the Board, through which he helped to recruit board-certified specialists whose relocation to Pikeville raised the quality of care in the region. When rising insurance premiums became a serious issue for Kentucky doctors in the 1970's, Dr. Cassady helped to found the Kentucky Medical Insurance Corporation, which he led as Chairman of the Board. His decades of such service to his profession were recognized with the KMA's Distinguished Service Award in 1989.

Born on August 26, 1921, to Ben and Edith Weddington Cassady in Pikeville, Dr. Cassady was a graduate of Pikeville Academy, Pikeville College, and the University of Louisville School of Medicine, where his class received an accelerated course of study in preparation for service in the United States Army's medical corps during World War II. Following his marriage to Ann Thompson Cassady of Mt. Sterling in 1946, he was stationed at a military hospital in Nagoya, Japan, where he served as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Upon his return to the States, he completed his service at Fort Campbell at the rank of Major.

Upon returning to Pikeville in 1954 to raise his family, Dr. Cassady kept extraordinary hours as one of only two surgeons in the area, performing nearly every type of emergency surgery and obstetrics. Still, he made time to support Pikeville's growth through service on the boards of Pikeville Methodist Hospital, Pike County Medical Society, First National Bank of Pikeville, the Bank One Advisory Board, First Christian Church of Pikeville, Rotary Club, and Green Meadows Country Club. His role in Pikeville's development is attested by the bridge that bears his name on US 23. Dr. Cassady was also a member of the century-old Juniper Hunt and Fish Club of Louisville, Camp Kaintuck, and the Snoot Club of Pikeville.

At the celebration of his retirement in 1986, his family was deeply moved by many accounts from patients and colleagues of his high standards in every endeavor and his private philanthropy. By the end of his career as a physician, nearly every person in eastern Kentucky had a story about Dr. Cassady's care to a member of their family.

Dr. Cassady is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ann Thompson Cassady and their four children: Josephine (Ken) Smith of Morehead, KY, Cindy (Barney) Venables of Denton, Texas, Ballard (Marcia) Cassady, Jr. of Louisville, KY and Ben (Pat) Cassady of Pikeville. He is survived by 12 grandchildren: Jason Smith, Ballard (Catherine) Smith, Betsy (Andrew) Falk, Ann (Jim) Griffith, Thomas Vanables, Sara Venables, Katy (Jared) Brandt, Molly Cassady, Ballard Cassady III, Jacob Cassady, Ben (Jennifer) Cassady, and Kelly (Micah) Kinnett, as well as 13 great-grandchildren: Kennedy Smith, Ballard and Grayson Smith, Josie and A.J. Falk, Madalyne, Mia and Dylan Kinnett, Mason, Cole and Bryce Cassady, and Cassady and Rory Griffith. Dr. Cassady was preceded in death by two sisters, Josephine Cassady and Edith Mae Vanhoose.

Pallbearers are Dr. Cassady's grandsons: Jason Smith, Ballard Smith, Ben Cassady Jr., Thomas Venables, Ballard Cassady III, and Jacob Cassady.

Honorary pallbearers are Dr. Kenneth Smith, Dr. Barney Venables, Dr. O.W. Thompson, Dr. Russell Davis, Dr. Oon Leedhanachoke, Dr. R. V. Mettu, Bobby Lowe, Dr. Joey Collins, Robert Cox, Dr. Harvey Page and C.J. May.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First Christian Church of Pikeville or the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Sources

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJB7-494T : 16 May 2014), Ballard Weddington, Residence, Pikeville, Kentucky, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJB7-7CXC : 16 May 2014), Ballard Weddington, Residence, Ashland, Kentucky, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #113836124