July 11, 1948 – May 22, 2024
Tim Mebane, physician, died on May 22, 2024, in a St. Louis hospital due to complications from advanced bladder cancer. He was 75 years old and had been living in southern California at the time of his death. Tim is survived by his wife, Rachel West; his children, Alexis and Nikolai; and his grandsons, Dylan and Cayden. Tim was preceded in death by his daughter, Whitney, who passed away in 1995 at the age of 10.
Oldest son (and second child) of Tom S. and Barbara M. Mebane, Tom S. Mebane III was born July 11, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan. Namesake to his father, he took on the nickname Tim at an early age – the name by which most came to know him. Soon after his birth, Tim’s family relocated to State College, Pennsylvania, and grew to include four siblings – Judy, Louise (Lisa), Rod, and Meg – all still living.
After graduating State College high school, class of 1966 (and quarterbacking the football team along the way), Tim proceeded to earn his Bachelor of Science (BS) and Medical Doctor (MD) degrees in a special five-year program offered by Penn State University and Jefferson Medical College. He went on to develop a specialty in obstetrics & gynecology, and in 1976 he established a successful practice in central Pennsylvania, where he provided reproductive healthcare to women and helped deliver their babies. Reputationally, Dr. Mebane was highly respected as an expert medical provider and highly regarded for his attentive, compassionate manner. In 1998, Tim effectuated a mid-life shift by signing on as an OB/GYN physician with Kaiser Permanente. This involved a relocation to Atlanta, where he continued to serve patients until his retirement in 2012. In an OB/GYN career spanning 41 years, Tim helped to deliver over 13,000 children. In 2008, Tim also became an addictionologist and for seven years served as medical director and co-owner of New Day Treatment Center in Atlanta, helping to change the lives of hundreds struggling with substance abuse.
Tim Mebane approached life with an unbridled spirit of adventure – a spirit he sought to cultivate in his children over the years on their many family excursions and escapades. (He was known routinely to say to his kids at night: “Tomorrow is going to be a BIG day!”) For Tim, there was hardly a sport that he did not play (well), hardly a country that he had not visited, and hardly a challenge that he did not rise to. Depending on circumstances, you might have known Tim as a black diamond skier, clever tennis ace, scratch golfer, wild whitewater rafter, accomplished vintner, or fearless pilot. You might have visited in family homes on a 10-acre country estate in central Pennsylvania, a beachfront villa on the Outer Banks, a palatial mansion in Alpharetta, or an island enclave in the Virgin Islands. Regardless of activity or location, however, you most assuredly met a man who was intelligent, caring, charming, and fun. His characteristic good humor reliably brought joy and laughter to those around him.
Though Tim was abundantly charming, his life was not always charmed – in dealing with challenges that he faced, he sometimes was not on the winning end. His tragic loss of a young daughter brought unbearable sadness; successful treatment of metastasized lymphatic cancer left necrosis and loss of muscle mass in its wake; certain financial investment strategies turned out to be materially less than shrewd; hard partying proved not to be an enduring solution to much of anything; and he had important relationships that did not last. In the final stretch, a heart attack and bypass surgery were precursor to a couple of mini strokes; and a fall earlier this year led to treatment for a broken hip that revealed Stage 4 bladder cancer already spreading to the bones. Attesting to Tim’s true spirit … Through it all, he would wake each morning ready for another day, with a hopeful smile on his lips and twinkling bright lights in his clear blue eyes.
As Tim progressed through life, driven by professional commitment coupled with a desire for new experiences, he amassed a treasure-trove of amazing memories that most could barely imagine. Fortunately, over the years, many people directly shared in creating some of those special memories with Tim, and they are forever enriched in this recollection.
The family is planning a virtual memorial service for Tim, to be held near the end of Summer 2024 and open to the public. Individuals interested in event details once finalized should send an email to 2megjones@gmail.com to request information.
In Tim Mebane’s honor and memory, please consider a gift to Annie Malone Children & Family Services – https://www.anniemalone.org/ – an agency that for over a century has served children and families in crisis and at-risk throughout the St. Louis community.
ONLINE PUB DATE: 03-JUL-2024
CENTRE DAILY TIMES: 07-JUL-2024