Obituary of Robert J. McLaughlin

Dr. Robert J. “Bob” McLaughlin, M. D. of Ozark died Thursday, January 19, 2017, at his home. A memorial service for Dr. McLaughlin will be held at 2:00 P. M. Saturday, January 21, 2017, from the Ozark Presbyterian Church with Reverend Frank C. Ellis, Jr. and Mr. Durwood Judah officiating. Interment will follow in Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Skipperville, Holman Funeral Home and Cremations of Ozark directing. The family will receive friends in the church from 1:00 P.M. Saturday until service time. We are deeply saddened by the death on January 19, 2017 of our beloved Dr. Bob, a man of deep integrity whose compassion and love for others touched countless lives. His extraordinary wisdom and wise counsel guided not only our family, but also his practice of medicine for over 40 years. Bob is survived by his wife of 43 years, Judy Miller McLaughlin. Bob was born on January 3, 1927 in Blue Springs, Alabama, the sixth of eight children of Dr. James Daniel McLaughlin and Alma Dovie Whigham McLaughlin. Graduating Blue Springs High School in 1943, Bob immediately entered the United States Army Air Corps, serving two years until the end of World War II. The GI Bill and waiting tables paid his way through Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University), where, in less than four years, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1949. Bob continued his studies, immediately entering the Medical College of Alabama in Birmingham, and earning his M.D. degree in 1953. Bob was his medical class Vice President and a member of the medical honorary societies Phi Beta Pi and Omicron Delta Kappa. In 1955, he completed his Internship and Residency in Surgery at City Hospital in Mobile. Joining his brother Dr. L.D. McLaughlin, Bob practiced medicine in Ozark from 1955 to 1995. He provided quality medical care through his office practice, emergency room staffing, surgery and OB-GYN services, and delivered over 3500 babies. His greatest blessing was serving his patients who entrusted him with their care. Active in service organizations at both local and state levels, Bob also served in many capacities at the Dale Medical Center, including Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff. In addition, Bob served for over 30 years on the Dale Medical Center Hospital Association Executive Board. Bob was a Charter Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a Charter Board Member for the Alabama Medical Directors Association, a Counselor to the Alabama Medical Association, and a member of the American Medical Association. He actively recruited fellow physicians to practice in Dale County. Bob was an active member of the Ozark Presbyterian Church and served as Deacon from 1981 to 2008. He supported the local school system by providing free athletic physicals and serving as sideline doctor during sporting events. He served as Trustee at Alabama State University for six years. Bob is survived by his wife Judy and six children: Gail Williams and her husband Jerry; James McLaughlin and his wife Vivian; William McLaughlin, M.D. and his wife Sarah; Robert McLaughlin, Jr. and his wife Anna; Landra Siegfried and her husband Gregory; and Shelley Hoerner and her husband Waylon. Fourteen grandchildren: Dr. Robert Bradley Cook and his wife Genessee; Amanda Pack and her husband Sam; Julia Bogdanovich and her husband Nicholas; Laurel McLaughlin; Mark McLaughlin; William Davis McLaughlin, Jr. and his wife Haley; Sarah Anne Brewer and her husband Colin; George Burkhart McLaughlin; Mary Elizabeth McLaughlin; Robert McLaughlin, III; William O’Neal Siegfried; Matthew Siegfried; Ella Hoerner; and Daniel Hoerner. Six great-grandchildren: Emilee Cook, Sydnee Cook, Marlee Cook, William Pack, Robert Pack, and Brody Snell. Bob is also survived by two brothers: Dr. Max McLaughlin, M.D. and his wife Nikki, and Dr. Wayne McLaughlin, D.M.D.; three sisters-in-laws: Carolyn McLaughlin; Glenda Tucker and her husband Jerry; and Marjorie Edwards; brother-in-law Michael Miller and his wife Alice; and mother-in-law Grace Miller. He is preceded in death by his parents; two sisters: Imogene Webster and Mildred McLaughlin; three brothers: Dr. James McLaughlin, D.V.M.; Rupert McLaughlin; and Dr. L.D. McLaughlin, M.D.; and his father-in-law Lawrence O'Neal Miller. Dr. Bob’s values, compassion, and generous spirit guide us, and we are grateful for his presence in our lives. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Community Hospice of Dale Medical Center, 261 Hospital Avenue, Ozark, AL 36360, Salem Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, C/O Mr. Don Johnson, P. O. Box 196, Skipperville, AL 36374, or the Dr. L.D. McLaughlin Memorial Fund at Dale Medical Center. Service Information