Dr. Powell Garland Dillard, Jr.

Dr. Powell Garland Dillard, Jr., 87, of Lynchburg, Virginia died Wednesday August 17, 2011. He was the son of the late Dr. Powell Garland Dillard and Nannie Sue Hoge Dillard. He was preceded in death by one brother, John Hoge Dillard of Greensboro, North Carolina.  He is survived by his wife of 63 years, the former Margaret Ann Corlett, four daughters, Celia Dillard Potekhen and husband Richard, Dorie Dillard Smiley and husband Knight, Ann Dillard Ackley and husband Rob and Corlett Dillard Keefer and husband Scott.  He is also survived by 13 grandchildren; Will Culpepper and wife Cristy, Molly Miller and husband Peter, Nancy Potekhen, Joseph Nelson and wife Meg, Garland Nelson, Emily Vanzant and husband Court, Robert Ackley and wife Carly, Ann Browning McCarty and husband John, Tyler Keefer, Harris Keefer, Krissy Potekhen, Langdon Zimmer and husband Tom, Will Smiley and wife Mollie and 9 great-grandchildren; MacKenzie Nelson, William Culpepper, Ella Vanzant, Gunnar Vanzant, Henry Zimmer, Anne-Charles Zimmer, Abigail Smiley, Owen Smiley and Masun Braun.  He also leaves a very close life-long friend, Elliot Schewel.

Dr. Dillard was the first male child born at Virginia Baptist Hospital, then Bedford County, Virginia, on August 2, 1924.  He was educated in the Lynchburg public schools and received BA and MD degrees from the University of Virginia, the latter in 1947.  He was elected to the Raven Society and Phi Beta Kappa.  He served a surgical internship at the University of Virginia Hospital and then a residency in Radiology at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio.  He continued in Radiology as a Fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota until 1952 and was certified by the American Board of Radiology in 1951.  Dr. Dillard served as a Captain in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean conflict and returned to Lynchburg in 1954 where he was in private practice until his retirement in 1989.  He served as President of the Virginia Radiological Society and was elected to the degree of Fellow in the American College of Radiology in 1969.   He was Chief of Staff at Lynchburg General Hospital, President of the Lynchburg Academy of Medicine, President of the Lynchburg unit of the American Cancer Society and President of the Piedmont Hospital Service prior to its merger into the Virginia Blue Cross plan.  He maintained an interest in public education, serving as President of public school parent-teacher organizations and was a member of the Lynchburg School Board, the board of the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center and was a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.  In 1966, Dr. Dillard and other physicians traveled to Puerta Cabesus, Nicaragua to act as medical missionaries for the Moravian Church. They set up new medical equipment and trained local medical personnel in new techniques and operation of equipment.  He served as a Deacon and was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church in Lynchburg.

The family wishes to express appreciation to Centra Hospice, Allie, Brenda, Dr. Pat Pletke, Dr. Dwight Oldham, the wonderful nurses of Pearson Cancer Center and John Scholer and Gail Midkiff of First Presbyterian Church. The family extends a special thank you to Matilda Bowles for her friendship, care and support.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Academy of Fine Arts capital campaign, 600 Main St. 24504, where Dr. Dillard was instrumental in establishing a memorial fund in the name of his late grandmother, Ella Woodroof Dillard. Donations may also be made to Centra Hospice, 3300 Rivermont Ave. 24503, or the Alan B. Pearson Cancer Center, 1701 Thomson Dr. 24501.

A graveside service will be held at Spring Hill Cemetery, Saturday August 20th at 11am. Visitation will be at the Dillard residence Friday from 5 to 7 pm.