Dr. Betty Lou Bottoms Grundy's Obituary
Betty Lou Bottoms Grundy, MD, age 77 of Gainesville, passed away Sunday, June 11, 2017 after a prolonged illness. She was born on January 3, 1940 in Dothan, Alabama, the oldest of five children of Wilmer Rudolph Bottoms and Marie Brandon Bottoms. As the children of an Army chaplain, Betty and her siblings grew up in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and Germany.
Betty attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, and left a year early to go to medical school at the University of Florida. She graduated near the top of her class in 1963, one of the first women graduates from the College of Medicine. The same month that she graduated, Betty married the love of her life, David Mather Grundy, on June 3, 1963 in Gainesville, Florida.
A pioneer for women in medicine, Betty first worked as the company doctor for the Homestake Gold Mine in South Dakota – hired after being told, “we don’t really want a woman doctor, but we’re desperate.” She completed her anesthesiology residency in Boston and entered private practice in Saginaw, Michigan. With a passion for teaching and research, Betty soon went into academic medicine. After assistant professorships at Case Western Reserve and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in 1982 Betty was appointed as the chief of anesthesiology at Oral Roberts University School of Medicine in Tulsa, Oklahoma—one of the first female department chairs in the country. Betty returned to the University of Florida in 1984, as professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Chief of Anesthesia Services at the Veterans’ Administration Medical Center, where she had a special concern for the care of elderly veterans.
Betty contributed immensely to the specialty of neuroanesthesia. She led numerous research studies, and generated a prolific list of publications, contributing to preserved brain function in thousands of patients today. She also passionately taught resident anesthesiologists throughout her career, serving as an examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology and as a visiting professor at anesthesia departments throughout the country. Betty cared immensely about fostering high standards of medicine, recognizing the vital contributions of nurse anesthetists, mentoring her students, and most of all about each patient entrusted to her care. She retired in 1994 from the University of Florida due to health reasons.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, the treasure of Betty’s life was her family. Her most important role was as a mother to Jennifer and Tom. She enjoyed annual reunions with her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, and family vacations to the mountains in Wyoming and Montana. Betty had many long hikes in the beautiful Tetons, and instilled a love of nature and hiking in her children. Although physically limited in later years, Betty was active at the Oak Hammock retirement community, and attended Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, smiling from the front row in her wheelchair. She loved being a grandmother to Ben, and appreciated every moment with her husband, Dave.
Betty was preceded in death by her brothers Charles and Sidney. She is survived by her husband, Dave of Gainesville, FL; her daughter Jennifer (Ream) Stokley and grandson, Ben of Charlotte, NC; her son, Tom of Nevada City, CA; her sister, Joyce Mathison of New Orleans, LA; and her brother, Bill Bottoms (Diane) of Palo Alto, CA.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 3:00 pm at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Gainesville, FL. The family respectfully requests donations in lieu of flowers to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 100 NE 1st Street, Gainesville, FL 32601 or to Haven Hospice, 4200 NW 90th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606.
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