John Gardiner Shellito

Shellito, John Gardiner, 91, passed away Tuesday, November 24, 2009. Visitation will be at Downing-Lahey Mortuary, 6555 E. Central, on Friday December 4 from 5-7pm. Memorial Services will be at East Heights United Methodist Church, 4407 E. Douglas, on Saturday, December 5 at 10am. John was born in Independence, Iowa, on March 8, 1918 as a third generation physician after his grandfather and father. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Northwestern University in Chicago in 1943, and a Master of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1949. He married Jean Lawman in Manchester, Iowa in 1941. During World War II, John served as an Anesthesiologist in the 77th Evacuation Hospital from 1943-1945, staffed by physicians from the University of Kansas. The close friendships he developed with these physicians in the unit had a tremendous impact on his future career. The evacuation hospital served in Italy and Europe, and participated in the front lines during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. After the war, John completed his surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic from 1946-1950. During his last year of residency, he was recruited by one of the former surgeons of the 77th Evacuation Hospital to join a new multi-specialty group called the Wichita Clinic. He was a partner in Wichita Clinic for over 35 years, and was a staff member of both Wesley Medical Center and Via Christi Medical Center. He served as President of the Medical Staff at Via Christi in 1979. After a 6 month fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in 1954 and 3 years of additional research, he accomplished the first successful open heart surgery in Kansas in 1957. During his career, John was a member of the Kansas Medical Society and the Medical Society of Sedgwick County. He was also a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. He was a member of the Western Surgical Association and the Southwestern Surgical Congress, and served as President of the Congress in 1972. Perhaps Johns greatest professional enjoyment was as a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the Kansas University Medical Center-Wichita, where he participated in surgery resident education and won the resident teaching award twice. John retired in 1985, the same year his youngest son Jack joined the staff of Wichita Clinic as a general and vascular surgeon. That same year his oldest son Judd was a Pulmonologist at University of California San Francisco, and his middle son Paul began work as a Colorectal surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. John was a member of Wichita Downtown Rotary Club and Past President of the Sedgwick County Chapter of The American Heart Association. His four greatest loves remained the same throughout his life: family, travel, wine, and boating. He is preceded in death by his sister, Ruth Shellito Wheelock. He is survived by his wife, Jean, sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Judd and Sue (Ireland) of New Orleans Louisiana, Dr. Paul and Barbara of Boston Massachusetts, and Dr. Jack and Mimi (Balazs) of Wichita Kansas, six grandchildren Annie and Jena, John and Peter, Allison and Natalie, and great niece, Rosamond Edison. To send a condolence, go to www.dlwichita.com Memorials should be directed to the Mayo Clinic Foundation or the Salvation Army. Visitation will be at Downing-Lahey Mortuary, 6555 E. Central, on Friday December 4 from 5-7pm.