John Morgan Appling, 83, of Cleveland, Tennessee, passed away Thursday, June 23, 2016.
He was a 1955 graduate of Emory & Henry College and graduated from West Virginia University in 1957. Dr. Appling received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1959. He did a year of externship in surgery at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Dr. Appling did his residency in pediatrics and graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 1962. Following his graduation he began his practice in pediatrics in Cleveland with Dr. Hays Mitchell and Dr. Richard Hughes and later on with Dr. Nalini Damshala. He served the community for over 40 years in pediatrics.
He worked tirelessly as an advocate to protect children who had been abused or neglected. Dr. Appling was one of the founding members of the Child Shelter Home in Cleveland. He was also instrumental in changing the child abuse laws in Tennessee after the Melisha Gibson case. Because of his involvement as an advocate for child abuse, he was awarded a lifetime membership in the Parent Teacher Association. He was very involved in several different community organizations.
Dr. Appling was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church where he taught Sunday School for many years. He was an animal lover and every stray dog or cat always knew they had a home with him. There were also several children who were welcomed to live with the Appling family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Mary Amanda Hines Appling; wife, Carolyn S. Appling; and daughter, Mary Elizabeth Appling.
Survivors include his children, Suzanne Wood and husband, Fred of Cleveland and Jay Appling and close friend, Donna Hamilton of Cleveland; grandson, Tanner Appling of Cleveland; brother, Luke Appling of Oak Island, NC; aunt, Nellie Appling Wiley of Mt. Airy, NC; niece, Josann Appling Campanello and husband, Joe of Oak Island, NC and their daughter, Elizabeth; and nephew, Rick Appling and his wife, Bea of San Diego, CA and their daughter, Malia.
A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church with The Reverend Taylor Dinsmore officiating. Inurnment will follow in St. Luke’s Memorial Garden.
His family will receive friends from 12-2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Parish Hall at St. Luke’s prior to the service.
The family requests that memorials be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, the American Red Cross, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037 or to Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, 4721 Trousdale Dr. Nashville, TN 37220.
Fike-Randolph & Son Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.