Wyatt Blake, Iii

Wyatt Heflin Blake III, beloved husband and father, died at the age of 88 on December 14, 2016 after a brief illness. He was predeceased by his parents, Wyatt H. Blake Jr. and Rebecca Stickney Blake and his wife, Jeanne Thomas Blake.Wyatt graduated valedictorian at Sheffield High School in 1946 before attending the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. After completing medical school at Vanderbilt University, he served in the US Navy in Norman, Oklahoma where he met his wife Jeanne. Following his surgical residency at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio, he returned home in 1961 to settle and practice general surgery in Sheffield where his father and grandfather had practiced before him. Wyatt was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons among several other medical societies. He also held leadership positions including Chief of Staff, Chief of Surgery, and member of the Board of Directors at both Humana Shoals Hospital and Colbert County Hospital (now Helen Keller Memorial Hospital). He served as President of the the Colbert County Medical Society in 1969 and 1981.He was a longtime member and supporter of the Sheffield Kiwanis Club in keeping with his devotion to a community that he loved so dearly. Throughout his life he remained an actively involved member in Grace Episcopal Church. Wyatt exemplified the renaissance man. He had an enduring passion for learning encompassing a broad range of interests which always included history, science, travel and the arts.He is survived by his children Kelly (Oscar Ruiz) Blake of Puigpunyent, Spain; Leslie (Tom) DiNella of Nashville, TN, and Richard (Gayle) Blake of Tuscumbia, AL along with six grandchildren Sofía, Gabriela, Aranzazu Ruiz-Blake and Ava, Muriel, and Vincent DiNella.A memorial service will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, Sheffield at 10am on Saturday, December 17, 2016 to be followed by a reception in the parish hall. The family extends special thanks for the devoted care of the staff at Belmont Village, Nashville, TN. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a favorite charity.