KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- James E. Downs, M.D., passed away Monday, Jan. 30, 2006, at St. Mary's Residential Hospice.
He was a member of Sacred Heart Parish since 1957 and of the 3rd and 4th degree Knights of Columbus.
He was born Dec. 14, 1927, in Schenectady, N.Y.
After graduating from Dannemora High School in 1944, he attended Midshipman New York State Maritime Academy from 1945 to 1946, then attended St. Michael's College from l944 to 1945, 1946 to 1947 where he received his bachelor of arts, he received his M.D. from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1951 and received his internship from the U.S. Naval Hospital in St. Albans. James was an active Duty U.S. Navy veteran from 1951 to 1953 and an active Reservist from 1953 to 1955. He was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant Master Chief in the U.S. Navel Reserve.
James then received his residency of Anesthesiology at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City in 1953 to 1955. He started his practice of Anesthesiology in Knoxville in 1955 and was one of the three original founding physician of the Knoxville Anesthesia Group. His early years of practice included all the local area hospitals. Dr. Downs saw the start of the Departments of Anesthesia, Recovery Rooms and Intensive Care Units. In the early 1960s his practice became limited to St. Mary's Memorial Hospital and the Chest Disease Hospital. In 1968, he served on rotation with Project Hope in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Dr. Downs was a diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology, a member of the American Medical Association, the American College of Anesthesiology, the Tennessee Medical Association, the Knoxville Academy of Medicine and the American Society of Anesthesiology. He retired from active practice in 1990.
He is preceded in death by his parents, James D. Downs and Valerie M. Lyons Downs of Dannemora, N.Y.; first wife, Carolyn M. Spence Downs; and son, Michael J. Downs.
He is survived by wife, Doby Noles Downs; son and daughter-in-law, Patrick and Charito Downs, Harrogate; stepson and daughter-in-law, Rick and Laura Noles; and grandchildren, Daniel and Brian Noles of Knoxville.
The family received friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday with a Christian Prayer Service that followed at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Sacred Heart Cathedral with Father Xavier Mankel officiating. Interment to be held at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Dannemora, N.Y., at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorial donations be made to Interfaith Health Clinic, 315 Gill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917 or to the charity of your choice.
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