Dr. Edward C. Loughlin Jr. often said that wherever there is a bottom rung of society, there will always be a Grady Memorial Hospital.
The orthopedic surgeon embraced Grady's mission to serve the poor, and he worked to ensure that it remain a prominent medical provider in Atlanta. He served on the Grady board 21 years, three of them as chairman.
In retirement, he still supported the hospital as a twice-a-week mentor to its orthopedic residents.
"Grady was his focus in life," said Linda Beth Irby Loughlin, his wife of 32 years. "He was proud of the fact that he was involved there, and he thought the quality of care offered there was phenomenal."
On Thursday, the Atlanta doctor suffered a massive stroke and had been in the intensive care unit at Piedmont Hospital until he died Saturday. He was 76. A memorial will be held at 11:30 Tuesday in the Spring Hill chapel of H.M. Patterson & Son, which is in charge of arrangements.
In 1964, he joined the Funk, Wells and Dimon medical group, which later became Peachtree Orthopedic Clinic. He retired in 2007.
Dr. Loughlin had a photographic memory and an innate ability to look at a problem and decide the best approach, be it surgical or non-surgical. He was a straight shooter with patients and at his best in crisis, said Dr. David Apple, a former partner at the Peachtree clinic.
"When things weren't going well in the operating room, he could calm the waters, get things accomplished and end up with a good result for the patient," he said.
Furman Bisher, retired sports columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, remembered when his young son had an accident that damaged a leg. Dr. Loughlin saved his son's life as well as the limb.
"We'd been friends ever since," said Mr. Bisher, noting both are UNC alums. "He fought several battles on behalf of Grady Hospital, and fought a ton of battles to put it on the level he thought it should be on. That was one of his missions in life."
Christopher Payne Irby, who was an infant when Dr. Loughlin married his mother, called the surgeon a special person who successfully balanced family and career.
"He had three kids of his own, and he came in and took the role of our dad," Mr. Irby said. "It took an extraordinary man to fill those shoes and to accomplish all he did at that time."
Additional survivors include daughters, Lucy Loughlin Jarrett of Charlotte, Elizabeth Loughlin Caldwell of Chattanooga and Laura Irby Smith of Raleigh; two other sons, Edward Christopher Forbes Loughlin of Newnan and Michael Semmes Irby Jr. of Atlanta; a brother, David C. Loughlin of Wilmington; and 10 grandchildren.
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