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Honoring
the memory of

Thomas Formby M. D.

Thomas Adrian Formby, M. D. completed his life's journey and arrived home on August 25, 2006. Tom was born in Waldo, AR January 12, 1921 to Thomas Jefferson and Nell Grace Andrews Formby.

He began his college career at Harding College, which was interrupted by WWII when he was drafted in December 1943. He served 26 months in the European Theater of Operations as a member of the 14th Finance disburseing Unit, his unit being the first Finance Unit to enter Normandy after the D-Day invasion of June 6. Following his discharge January 1946, he married the former Mary McCullough of Tupelo, MS and in September entered the University of Arkansas School of Medicine, graduating in 1950 with both the BS and MD degrees. He completed his internship at City Receiving Hospital in Detroit and retuirned to Arkansas to practice, first locating in Paragould for 18 months and in Searcy where he practiced as a Family Practitioner until his retirement in 1985.

He became a member of the American Academy of Family Practice shoon after its formation and was instrumental in helping to form Searcy Medical Center, which has grown to be one of the largest multi-specialty groups in Arkansas. He also played a pivotal role in the effort to establish a community-based hospital, now known as White County Medical Center. Because of his service as a trusted family physician, he was recognized as the University of Arkansas Medical School Distinguished Alumnus for 2000.

Dispite his very busy medical practice, he remained dedicated to his family. He managed to "rightly divide" his professional and personal lives. He was a member of and served as a teacher, deacon and elder of the College Church of Christ. As a great supporter of missions, he personally supplied support to a number of different missionaries through the years.

Tom is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary McCullough Formby and three daughters: Margaret Blue (Leon) of Searcy, Rachel Dowdy (Jim) of Huntsville, Alabama and Leah Justus (Tom) of Malvern, AR; five grandchildren, Matthew Blue, Mary-Margaret Blue Watson, Sarah Justus Saunders, Mary Helen Justus and Kieran Dowdy, and four great-grandchildren, Anna and Toby Watson, Averie and Meredith Blue.