On Thursday, December 12, 2019, Dr. Miles C. Gregory passed away in his home of 51 years in Roanoke Rapids at the age of 89, just five days short of his 90th birthday.
Miles had many hobbies and enjoyed many things, including gardening (using his space most efficiently and loving his butternut squash), all animals, golfing, reading the Bible, exercising (his roadwork), snow skiing and eating crunchy peanut butter. He will be remembered for his uncanny medical knowledge, wit, humility, honesty, concern for others, and the highest of moral character.
After his high school graduation from Episcopal High in Alexandria, VA, Miles enlisted in the US Marines. After being discharged, he enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was an active football player, wrestler, boxer, and member of Zeta Psi fraternity. Although having a gentle demeanor he received many athletic accolades. In 1951, he was the Southern Conference wrestling champion (losing only once to the National Champion); in 1953 he was the Southern Conference boxing champion; and in 1954, he was unanimously voted the Patterson Award recipient, the most prestigious award presented to one athlete per year at UNC (Phil Ford received this award in 1978). He graduated later that year with a Pre-Med degree from UNC and from Duke Medical School in 1958.
Following his education, Miles was a resident at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA, associated with Tulane University. It was there that he found his love for Pediatrics and met his wife, Ruthie Cayer, who was a Dietician at that same hospital.
While offered several positions in various cities, it was his love for Halifax County that helped him decide where to start practicing medicine in 1963. He practiced over 40 years in our community and was the type of physician who happily took phone calls or met patients at any time, day or night...he had such a way with children. He often had to tell young adults they had outgrown his practice as they did not want to discontinue seeing him as their doctor.
Miles is preceded in death by his mother, Nelle, and his father, Quentin; brothers, Quentin Jr, Haynes, Tommy, Bobby, and his daughter, Georgie.
Miles is survived by his wife Ruthie, his sons Miles Jr and Haynes and daughter Ruthie Bury (Kevin). He is also survived by his brother John T. (June) and grandchildren Miles and Haynes Gregory and Andrew, Bennett, and Audrey Bury.
Services will be held Sunday, December 22, 2019 at 2:00 pm at All Saints Episcopal Church in Roanoke Rapids with Rev. Fred Eichner officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cemetery in Halifax. A reception will follow at his childhood home, “The Pines”, 6755 Highway 301, Halifax.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the St. Mark's Episcopal Cemetery in Halifax, care of Charles Tillery, P.O. Box 145 Tillery, NC 27887
Online condolence can be made to: www.wrennclarkehagan.com