J. Harold Cheek

Dr. J. Harold Cheek, breast cancer pioneer, passes away at 90 Dallas surgeon Dr. J. Harold Cheek passed away at the age of 90 in Tyler, Texas, due to complications of pneumonia. A memorial service will be held at Hide-A-Way Lake Community Church, Hide-A-Way Lake, Texas, on Monday, January 28 at 2:00. Dr. Cheek is survived by his wife of 66 years Anna Lou and four daughters; Lynn and Kirk Newsom, and their children Chris and Juli; Mary Jane and Bruce Van Zandt; Jenny and Larry Harley; and Macy and Jim Chionsini and their son J.T. The son of Harris and Lona Mae Cheek, Dr. Cheek was born in Eldorado, Oklahoma, in 1917. He was raised in West Texas, one of three brothers, and was graduated from Texas Tech in 1941. He began medical school at the Baylor College of Medicine in Dallas, finishing his last two years at the Southwestern Medical School in 1944. His postgraduate training in general surgery was interrupted by service in the army where he was a captain from 1946 to 1948. In 1951 he opened his private practice in Dallas. He was the first surgeon in the Southwest to specialize in diseases of the breast, and inspired a fellowship in breast surgery Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the first of its kind in the United States. He was also instrumental in bringing mammography technology to Baylor. Dr. Cheek was a major figure at Baylor Hospital for 51 years. He was president of the Dallas medical staff in 1979, president of both the Dallas County and Texas Divisions of the American Cancer Society, and was active on the teaching staffs of both Baylor and Parkland Hospitals. A clinical professor of surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School since 1974, Dr. Cheek published 23 articles in medical journals. For his many contributions to the medical field he received the Sword of Hope Award and the Certificate of Merit Award from the American Cancer Society, the Taittinger Award of Distinction from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and both the Wings of Eagles and Circle of Care Awards from Baylor Health Care System Foundation. Dr. Cheek retired in 1996 and moved to Hide-A-Way Lake, Texas. Though he enjoyed playing golf and developed many good friendships, he remained active on committees and boards at Baylor and never stopped missing his patients. "Harold Cheek epitomized the finest in American medicine," said Joel Allison, president and CEO, Baylor Health Care System. "His dedication to the fight against breast cancer was evident in both his professional and personal life. Baylor would not be what it is today without him." In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Baylor Health Care Systems Foundation, 3600 Gaston Ave., Dallas, TX 75246.

J. Harold Cheek

June 1, 2017 - January 25, 2008