Jack Wagoner Jr.

Dr. Jack Wagoner Jr. died with friends and family present on Wednesday morning, October 4, 2017. Dr. Wagoner was a well-known Little Rock internal medicine specialist who regularly appeared on the "Best Doctors" lists. He served as Chief of Staff at St. Vincent's Hospital in 1981, 1982, 1984, and 1985. He also was head of the ICU department for many years. Dr. Wagoner was born on September 29, 1938 in Earle, Arkansas. He graduated from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa at age 16. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1959 and from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1963. He performed his Internship at UAMS. Then he served as a Captain in the Air Force for two years. He returned and completed his Internal Medicine Residency followed by a fellowship in Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases. The children and family of Dr. Wagoner are most proud of the fact that their father established the first integrated medical practice in the State of Arkansas in 1969. He practiced with Dr. Raymond Miller, Dr. Robert Moore, and Dr. Hoyt Pyle at the Little Rock Internal Medicine Clinic. Dr. Wagoner and Dr. Miller practiced together until retirement, along with Dr. Pyle. This was a bold move for a white doctor with four children to support—straight out of medical school—in 1969. As always, our father did the right thing—despite his father advising against it and telling him that he was "throwing his education away." There is a series of letters between Dr. Miller and Dr. Wagoner in the archives at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where Dr. Miller (who was on the UA Board of the University in subsequent years) and our father are discussing the implications of beginning a practice together given the state of race relations in the country at the time. Dr. Wagoner was one of those rare individuals that was programmed to automatically do the right thing in any situation. He set the moral compass for four children and was proud of the fact that each child went into helping professions and all have earned at least a Master's Degree. He was reasonable beyond belief and has rarely been heard by anyone to raise his voice. He always calmed any situation. And he was very curious about everything. He was a prolific reader and knew so much about so many subjects. Trivial Pursuit with Dad was a lost cause, as he knew so many minute points about so many subjects. As might be expected, those close to Dr. Wagoner are sad and grieving. The family is proud and warmed by the outpourings of sympathy and condolences from those that have poured in from friends and colleagues. Writing this obituary has been made much easier by the fact that it is easy to write an obituary for a saint. Dr. Wagoner is survived by his wife of 58 years, Lorraine. He is also survived by four children (in descending order): Jack Wagoner III of Little Rock, age 56; Terri Lynn Phillips, age 54; Tracy Lea McCandless of Denver, age 50, and Dr. Amy Elizabeth McLaurin of Statesville, N. Carolina, age 48. He is also survived by one sister, Gay Adams, of Little Rock, and 10 grandchildren. Since Amy and Tracy and their families live in North Carolina and Colorado respectively, Dr. Wagoner and "Lorrie" spent a large part of their time driving to one place or another in the last several years. They had a lot of fun together in their later years. A memorial service will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church on Saturday, October 7 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the American Heart Association or Trinity United Methodist Church. After the service, there will be a reception at the church. www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.