Joseph Ogden Priestley

Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2012 10:30 am

Dr. Joseph Ogden Priestley, 89, of San Francisco, Calif., passed away Tuesday, May 10, 2012, from congestive heart failure at his home.
He was born Aug. 11, 1923, in Ashville, Ky. He spent much of his life in Tennessee.
During World War II, he was an administrative clerk in the U.S. Army and worked on a hospital train transporting prisoners of war. During this time, he wrote for Yank magazine.
After the war, he graduated from the University of Tennessee.
He was an intern and resident at the University of Chicago. He then practiced dermatology in Memphis and Miami. Following this, he came to his beloved city of San Francisco, working for Kaiser Permanente for many years.
He will be remembered for his great sense of humor and his interesting stories of his life experiences. He was consistently and conscious honest and good. His decisions were made with a strong sense of morality and fairness. All of his relationships from family to business partners were very personal and special.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Duke Priestley of Martin. He is survived by his sister, Mrs. D. Winton Simmons; his niece, Dr. Susan Opper, his great-nieces, Mrs. Jade Opper Planchon and Miss Sierra Opper; and dear friends, Lewis Maxwell, James Laughron and Art and Arthur Kapur.
The family would like to give special thanks to Kaiser Permanente Hospice Program for their wonderful care during the final weeks.
A memorial service was held at the Quaker Society of Friends May 13, 2012. In lieu of flowers, send memorials to the Quaker Society of Friends.

WCP 5.24.12