Funeral services for Malcolm Lamar Denley, M.D. were August 18, 2018, at St. James Episcopal Church, Alexandria, La., with Reverend Elizabeth Ratcliff officiating. He was born May 20, 1924, in Coffeeville, to Magdalyn Beadles and Chester Lamar Denley and died at his home August 9, 2018.
Dr. Denley is preceded in death by his wife of 74 years, Dolores (Dee) Dupuis Denley; parents, Magdalyn and Chester; brother, Robert Denley, and in-laws, Hilda Denley, Charlotte Dupuis and Thomas Dupuis.
Family members left to mourn are daughters, Gale (Wayne) Colvin, Lafayette, LA; Diane (Troy) Vickers, Houston, TX; Patricia (John) Turnage, M.D., Shreveport, LA; sons Wayne (Val) Denley, David L. Denley, Thomas Lamar Denley, M.D., all of Alexandria; grandchildren, Jason (Danielle) Colvin, Anne (Charlie) Denley Clarke, Clay (Lindsay) Colvin, Wien Denley, Natalie (Kevin) Colvin Kelleher, Daniel Denley, Andrew Colvin, Mary Helen Turnage, Jack Turnage, Caroline Turnage, Anna Vickers, Maggie Vickers: great grandsons, Graydon Colvin, Bennett Colvin, Benjamin Clarke, Kane Kelleher, Jack Colvin, Cooper Kelleher, Rhodes Colvin, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
After a brief time in Cuba where his first words as a toddler were in Spanish, the family moved to Baton Rouge so the children could attend American schools. He graduated from Baton Rouge High School, LSU, and LSU Medical Center, New Orleans.
At Baton Rouge High he played coronet in the band and was active in several sports. He was on a team relay from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and presented the final baton to the mayor of Baton Rouge. While an undergraduate at LSU he served as president of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He trained at Charity Hospital, Tucson Medical Center and during the Korean War served in the new Epidemic Intelligence Office, Center for Disease Control of the U.S. Public Health Service stationed in Austin, Tx.
In 1954, Malcolm and Dee moved their family to Alexandria to join Dr. Albert Hensel in private practice of Pediatrics. Dr. Robert Culpepper, who was an intern under Dr. Denley at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, joined their practice in 1959. In 1963 Culpepper and Denley built The Pediatric Clinic on Jackson Street Extension in the middle of cotton fields in the expanding area of Alexandria. For more than 50 years, he treated thousands of children (often three generations in one family), and always made each patient feel special and welcomed. He retired in 2007.
He loved Central Louisiana and especially enjoyed visiting with his former patients of all ages. He was one of the original organizers and first president of Alexandria Country Day School. Most of his life he was a passionate and avid tennis player. His friends noted that he played with “heart”. After retirement he began painting with Ethel Dixon. Besides tennis, he loved music, the opera, golf, telling stories, writing poetry, traveling, LSU football game trips; and organizing family and friends to participate with him in activities.
He was very much loved and appreciated by his patients for his kind manner and their parents for his keen diagnostic talents and experience. He is remembered by many for his upbeat personality, caring smile, a bounce in his walk and whistling merrily as he went enthusiastically from one patient to the next.
He was always ready, willing and able to spend time with his many close friends and large family. His home was always open for conversation over a cup of coffee. You could count on laughter, gentlemanly conversation and warm friendship when around Malcolm.
Interment was at Greenwood Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. James Episcopal Church, 1620 Murray Street, Alexandria, LA 71301.