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Dr. Willys Moore Monroe

Dr. Willys Moore Monroe

Male 1915 - 2005  (89 years)

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All

  • Name Willys Moore Monroe  [1
    Prefix Dr. 
    Born 11 Dec 1915  Stamford, Fairfield Co., Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Died 18 Mar 2005  [1
    • The following is an obituary from the Richmond Times-Dispatch found on their web site, TimesDispatch.com on 21 Mar 2005:

      "Willys Moore Monroe

      Willys Moore Monroe, son of the late Elsie Emily Moore and Cressy Herbert Monroe, was born December 11, 1915 and died Friday, March 18, 2005. His first wife, Janet MacLean Monroe; and his sister, Marianne Monroe Wells Glazier, predeceased him. He is survived by his second wife, Louise Wilkes Robertson of Bedford, Virginia; two children, Alexander Gaylord Monroe and his wife, Betty of Midlothian, Virginia, and Susan Monroe of San Mateo, California; two grandchildren, Alison Monroe Goodman and her husband, Benjamin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Annie Kress Monroe of the Bronx, New York; five step grandchildren, Elizabeth Burns and her husband, William of South Hamilton, Massachusetts, John Hawkins and his wife, Christina Byrne of Mechanicsville, Virginia, Catherine Hawkins, Richard Hawkins and Annie Wambersie, all of Fredericksburg, Virginia; three step great-grandchildren, Ben burns, Maggie Burns and Marlie Mendoza; and a brother-in-law, Archibald F. Robertson Jr. of Montreal, and his son, Randolph Robertson and his wife, Beth.

      Dr. Monroe was born in Stamford, Connecticut, and graduated from Wesleyan University in Middleton, Connecticut in 1937, and from the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, connecticut in 1941. In 1940, he married Janet MacLean in Guillford, Connecticut.

      After graduation, he entered the U.S. Public Health Service at the U.S. Marine Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, for his internship in 1941-42. He then was on active duty in the United States Armed Forces in the U.S. Public Health Service from 1942-1952. During this time, in 1945-46, he did a year of residency in Anatomic Pathology at the National Institute of Health and in September of 1946, he transferred to the Baltimore Marine Hospital for two years of clinical pathology. In 1952 he became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service in Norfolk, Virginia, where he stayed five years, which was his favorite place. His final year in the U.S. Public Health Service was at the Leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana, which he enjoyed.

      He left as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1956, to become chairman of the Department of Pathology at Richmond Memorial Hospital, establishing a blood bank, training laboratory technicians and teaching pathology at both Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia.

      His work was interrupted by active duty in the summers of 1959, 1960 and 1961, and from October of 1961 to May of 1962 in Texas, at the time of the Berlin Crisis.

      In the mid 1970s, a group of physicians established the Richmond Metropolitan Blood Bank, and Dr. Monroe was its first Chief. He also became known for meticulous, accurate work, and inspected blood banks in Virginia. He joined the Richmond Academy of Medicine, chairing the property committee for nine years. He was chairman of the Richmond Academy of Medicine's United Way Campaign one year, and gave the Walter Reed History of Medicine Lecture in 1991.

      After 20 years at Richmond Memorial, he retired and went in August of 1976 to run the blood bank at McGuire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, retiring in 1981. He then did locum tenens work at Stuart Circle and other hospitals in the area, stopping after his wife, Janet, died in 1989 after almost 49 years of marriage.

      In 1990, he married Dr. Louise Robertson, and in 1991 gave a talk on the U.S. Public Health Service at his 50th Yale Medical School Reunion, and in 1992 planned his 55th Wesleyan University Reunion, and gave a talk on the changes in medicine. He received an Alumni Award for outstanding service to the University.

      He was the 1937 Yale Class Secretary for many years. He was a Life Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, a Fellow of the American Society for clinical pathology a life member of the Medical Society of Virginia and the Southern Medical Association. He was alifetime member of Clan Munro, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, holding most of the offices, and was also Surgeon-General for the state chapter.

      He was a 40-year member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Richmond, where he was a lay reader in the soup kitchen and completed the four year course in Education for Ministry. He was on the Advisory Board of the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation, stopping in 1999.

      He made furniture and clocks, and liked woodcarving. He loved his children and grandchildren, ocean travel, opera and classical music.

      In 2003, because of increasing illness, he moved to Lynchburg Westminster-Canterbury and his wife moved to Bedford.

      A memorial service will be held Wednesday, March 23, 2005, 10 a.m. at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Richmond, with the Rev. David Knight officiating. Burial will be in the family plot in Branford, Connecticut. In liew of flowers, donations may be made to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23226; Yale University, P.O. Box 7611, 100 Church Street South, Suite 211, New Haven, Connecticut, 06519-1714. To send condolences, please visit www.tharpfuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford, 586-3443."

      Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA - Email: Alger@alum.mit.edu
    Person ID I866  Munro
    Last Modified 20 Sep 2009 

    Father Cressy H. Monroe,   b. 21 Mar 1892, Cos Cob, Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Mother Elsie Emily Moore,   b. Abt 1894,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F8858  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Living 
    Last Modified 20 Jan 2009 
    Family ID F17682  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Janet MacLean,   b. 15 Aug 1915, Derby, Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 18 Mar 2005  (Age 89 years) 
    Married 24 Aug 1940  Guilford, New Haven Co., Connecticut, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Children 
    +1. Living
     2. Living
    Last Modified 20 Sep 2009 
    Family ID F393  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Ref: Clan Munro files - Monroe, Willys Moore - membership application

      Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA

  • Sources 
    1. [S53] Clan Munro files - Small, Doris, Doris Small, Web site - TimesDispatch.com - 21 Mar 2005 (Reliability: 3).