Dr. John Calvin Macaulay, “Jack,” 88, died
peacefully at his home in Vero Beach, Florida on March 25, 2013. The son of
John and Ruth Macaulay, he was born in Oneida and grew up in Sherrill, NY. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and served at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. Following his naval service he graduated from Syracuse University and
Albany Medical College.
Dr. Macaulay met his wife Phyllis Pierson
in 1954. They were married the following year and moved to Boston where he was
a research fellow in infectious diseases at Harvard School of Public Health and
at the Boston Children's Hospital. He was privileged to have worked with Dr.
Thomas Weller and Dr. John Enders, recipients of the 1954 Nobel Prize for
Medicine.
Returning to Oneida, Dr. Macaulay opened a
pediatric practice in 1956 and subsequently founded the Oneida Pediatric
Group. For decades he cared for the
children of the area with wisdom and compassion. While on the staff of Oneida
City Hospital,
he served as Chief of Staff, chairman of
the Pediatric Department, and on numerous other committees of Oneida City
Hospital. For several years, he was President of Madison County Medical
Society. Active in medical research, he authored
many papers published in academic journals on subjects such as bulbar polio,
cytomegalovirus, and measles.
Dr. Macaulay was well known to generations
of children as the physician for the school district. He held many leadership
positions in medical, civic, and church organizations. He founded the Oneida
Area Arts Council in 1964 and the Oneida Area Day Care Center in 1971. Both
organizations continue to thrive and benefit the community.
In 1982, Jack and Phyllis moved to Ithaca,
NY where he was Director of Student Health Services at Ithaca College and then
staff physician at Cornell University. Following his retirement, he and his
wife began living most of the year in Vero Beach, FL.
Dr. Macaulay was a man of faith who
believed strongly in the ideals of peace and social justice, stewardship of the
earth, and the transformative power of education and cultural exchange. He
loved the outdoors, fishing, and the wonders of nature.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 57
years, Phyllis, and a grateful and loving family, including his children Laurel
Jordan, John B. Macaulay, and Suzanne Meyert; and seven beloved grandchildren,
Andrew, Katherine, Kimberly, Lindsay, William, Alexandra, and John Cameron. He
is survived by his sister Rowena Dawson and was predeceased by her twin Ruth
Bowen. He cherished his family and many deep friendships. Memorial donations
may be made to the Golisano Children's Hospital or the Nature Conservancy. A memorial service will be held at First
United Methodist Church on Main Street in Oneida at 4 pm on Saturday, May 11th.
All are welcome.
