Dr. Noah Meadows was more than a physician in Cobb County: He was a connoisseur of culture. The doctor turned his love of art, conversation and education into events for his community with the goal of motivating others to create, talk and learn.
“He was just so knowledgeable about so many things,” said Betty Hall, a friend of the family. “And that made him a delight to have conversation with.”
Mrs. Hall said Dr. Meadows was a lifelong learner, who was always interested in knowing more about a person or subject. “You could just tell he enjoyed life,” she said.
Noah Drew Meadows Jr., of Marietta, died May 18 of complications of pneumonia. He was 92. His body was cremated, and a memorial service was held Tuesday at St. James Episcopal Church. SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society, Marietta, was in charge.
Dr. Meadows was born in Walton County and grew up in Good Hope. After high school, he served in the Army during World War II. After that he was accepted at Emory University, and a friend suggested he study medicine, said Carol M. Secrist, a daughter who lives in Matthews, N.C.
“His friend said, ‘Why don’t you try pre-med,’ and dad said, ‘OK,’ so there really wasn’t a big revelation, it was really more matter-of-fact,” his daughter said. “And so he became a doctor.”
In 1950 Dr. Meadows married the former Jeanne LeFebre, and they eventually had three children. They had been married 52 years when Mrs. Meadows died in 2002.
Dr. Meadows practiced from 1955 until 1986, his daughter said. But in retirement, he didn’t go home and sit down. He dedicated his time to other things he loved, namely art and the art of conversation. In 1965, Dr. Meadows was part of a group that hosted a symposium between Cobb County medical and religious professionals to discuss patient care issues. That chat soon evolved to cover ideas and topics of global importance, which became an annual event more than 20 years.
Dr. Meadows also put a lot of energy into reviving the art museum on Church Street in the early ‘80s. An avid art collector for more than 55 years, he was driving force behind a 1998 exhibition of 90 drawings and paintings by the Wyeth family of North Carolina, which was shown at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art. During a newspaper interview before that show, Dr. Meadows said he’d donated several pieces of art to the museum, including four by the Wyeth family, because he believed art should be seen, not hidden away.
"The pleasure I get doesn't come from keeping my art; it comes from sharing it with others, " Dr. Meadows said at the time. "I want people who come to the museum to have the same passion I have."
Dr. Meadows is also survived by a son, David Meadows of Marietta; and a grandson.
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