George Hughes Beckwith

George Hughes Beckwith was born May 14, 1942 in Charlottesville, Virginia to Julian Ruffin Beckwith and Lois Hughes Beckwith.    Dr. Beckwith is survived by his sons George Hughes Beckwith Jr. (Anna) and Henry Dodge Beckwith, Psy.D.; his two sisters, Polly Hawkes (David) from Charlottesville, VA and Lois Johnson (Gary) from Bangor, ME and his brother Julian Beckwith (Joyce) from Watkinsville, GA.

After World War II, Julian and Lois and the Beckwith family moved to Clifton Forge, Virginia where they purchased property on the banks of the Cowpasture River, “The Farm”.   This is where a young George Beckwith found his love for fishing and the outdoors and where he would return through the years, sharing the happiest times of his life with family and friends.

In 1953 his father accepted a teaching position at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.  The family returned to Charlottesville where George graduated Lane High School in 1960.   He later attended Hampton Sydney College in Farmville, Virginia, becoming a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.  Married to Kathy Dodge in August of 1965, he was greeted by the birth of their first son, George Hughes Beckwith Jr. in July of 1970.

George was accepted into the University of Virginia School of Medicine and with great pride of his father, graduated in 1971.   George and Kathy moved to Kentucky where George interned at the University of Kentucky.  In 1972 his second son, Henry Dodge Beckwith was born.   George completed his Residency in Internal Medicine/Fellowship in Cardiology at the University of Virginia from 1972-1976.

 In 1976 George traded the clear waters of the Cowpasture River for the tannic waters of the Trent River and New Bern, North Carolina, exploring with his boys all that coastal North Carolina has to offer.   George was very involved in the development of The Carolina East Cardiac Rehabilitation Program that has become extremely meaningful to people recovering from cardiac events in Eastern North Carolina.  George was also very active with the American Heart Association, retiring from medicine after nearly 40 years.

George was thankful for his team of colleagues and nurses through the years and the many patients who adored him.  The people of Eastern North Carolina and his family’s love for the coast kept him in New Bern, but any few days of leisure found him back on the clear waters of his childhood, working in his garden and sitting with friends on the porch  of the log cabin that he always wanted.

We cannot count the times when we have been with dad, stopped by the family of his patients who thanked him for taking care of their loved ones.   We would like to pass along our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to all of his nurses and caregivers for their dedication, compassion and the dignity that they have given our father.  

The family is overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and kindness that has been showered upon us by his colleagues, friends and patients.   In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to:

American Heart Association or

Craven County Hospice c/o Craven County Health Department Foundation  PO Drawer 12610 New Bern, NC 28561

A memorial service is scheduled at Christ Episcopal Church in New Bern, North Carolina at 1:00 pm on March 14.