Haas, Theron Henry

Born May 15, 1920, in Toledo, Ohio, Theron Henry Haas passed away on Monday, March 23, 2009, at his residence in the Brandermill Woods Retirement Community in Midlothian, Va. He was the only child of Theron Austin Haas and Mary Pauline Gilmore Haas.

A graduate of DeVilbiss High School in Toledo in 1938, he attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where he graduated with a degree in medicine. He married a fellow University of Michigan student, Virginia Jeanne Atkinson, of Birmingham, Mich., on July 22, 1944.

Following graduation, Theron attended Army Field Medical Service School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, before entering a year of internship at Gallinger Municipal Hospital in Washington D.C., now D.C. General. He then entered residency training in Ob-Gyn at George Washington University Hospital.

On February 17, 1946, their first child, Karen Lee, was born, followed two years later by another daughter, Mary Louise. Upon completion of specialty training in 1951, the family moved to Radford, Va., where he joined in practice with Dr. Garrett Dalton. In 1960, Theron started his own practice and was later joined by Drs. Ronald Elswick, Charles Graham, Howard Dean, and Ted Burton. While in Radford, the family grew with the births of Robert Theron, Jenifer Lynn, and Leslie Mae.

Theron was active with Jeanne in the Radford Presbyterian Church in a number of leadership roles. He also served on the Radford City Council including time as mayor and vice mayor. He was president of the Radford Rotary Club, a member of the Board of Directors of First Virginia Bank of the Southwest, now BB&T, as well as the board of Meadowbrook Nursing Home. In 1985, he retired from practice after having delivered some 8,000 babies.

In 1992, he and his wife, Jeanne, moved to the retirement community of Brandermill Woods in Midlothian, Va. Theron remained active in his retirement, serving as president of the Brandermill Woods men’s club, attending educational events, bowling, and following the Virginia Tech Hokie sports teams. Following the death of his wife, Jeanne, in 1999, Theron met Correen Engel, of Brandermill Woods, who became his friend and loving companion during his remaining years and was at his side when he died.

Theron is survived by four daughters and one son, Karen (George) Heitman, of Sun City, Bluffton, S.C., Mary Louise (Wesley) Beavers, of Sun City, Bluffton, S.C., Robert Theron (Jane) Haas, of Winter Springs, Fla., Jenifer (Joe) Carson, of Palm Springs, Calif., and Leslie (James) Clanton, of Glen Allen, Va. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Amy, Philip, Tony, Stephen, Sarah, Emily and Mary; and three greatgrandchildren. Theron will also be missed by Correen Engel and her children, Mark (Charlotte) Engel, of Atlanta, Ga., Jim Engel, of Houston, Texas, and Laurie (Bill Beck) Engel, of Fredericksburg, Va.

A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2009, in Midlothian at Brandermill Woods Retirement Community Clubhouse. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Salisbury Presbyterian Church or a charity.