At the end of the year, Dr. William Morehead of Malden will be retiring from a 56 year long career as a trusted healthcare provider and moreover - as a quintessential small town doctor. During these years, Dr. Morehead has provided medical care for multiple generations of Malden-area residents. At the impressive age of 80, he now feels that it is time to end this meaningful chapter of his life.

Dr. Morehead is originally from Memphis, where his father was a pharmacist. Though his father died when he was a teen, his mother was determined to put her youngest child through college. He first studied engineering at Mississippi State University, but was convinced by his roommate to begin studying medicine. He then attended the University of Tennessee’s medical school in Memphis.

After graduating medical school in 1955, Dr. Morehead completed his internship and residency at John Gaston Hospital in Memphis. And, near the end of his studies, he married his wife, Patricia Riegle, of Memphis. His in-laws would later joke about his knowledge of where babies come from, as during the early years, "Pat" was near-constantly pregnant. They had four children, Patricia (Kilgore) of Knoxville; Will Jr., & Robert, both of Memphis; and Elizabeth (Hilton) of Los Angeles.

Marriage, however, did not prevent Dr. Morehead from his mandatory military service (as he was no longer being exempted due to medical school). He served in various positions at the veteran’s hospital until he was drafted by the army. He was stationed at the Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

When his military service came to a close, he took a job in Kennett at a small hospital, where he worked for a short time. But Dr. Morehead wanted to do general practice, and in 1963 he took a job offered by Dr. Wayne Croom of Malden. Dr. Morehead stayed in Malden for the rest of his career - he has always preferred the small town lifestyle for his practice of medicine and for raising a family. His wife, Pat, worked with him in his office for a number of years.

Dr. Morehead has led an exemplary life—many who know him see him as a role model. As a doctor, he made himself available constantly for his patients, finding it necessary to install a second phone line when his children were teens to ensure a connection for his patients. Additionally, he set up his very own mini-lab to increase his medical capabilities and eliminate sending his patients to other facilities. He provided services ranging from making house calls to setting broken bones to delivering babies, even delivering two of his own children. For many years, he volunteered as the team physician for Malden High School and performed team physicals for other area sports programs. Dr. Morehead has served as President for both the Lions Club and the Malden Country Club. His advanced skills in the game of bridge earned him the accolade of Life Master.

As the Patriarch of a beautiful family of scholars, musicians and genuinely nice human beings, Dr. Morehead's love of games and music gives life to family gatherings. Son-in-law, Dr. Larry Kilgore is not only an accomplished physician, but also a national "thumb-picking" guitar champion; Granddaughter Lauren Kilgore, a recording vocalist (and an attorney with a top Nashville firm), recently celebrated her marriage with a grand reception at the Country Music Hall of Fame; Grandson Turner Morehead studies theater at High Point University in North Carolina; Granddaughter Eva Hilton is an acclaimed student at the most highly regarded schools in Los Angeles. All together, his talented brood numbers eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 6 - 30. Dr. Morehead loves nothing more than a gathering where family members share their musical talents as well as their diverse points of view.

Patricia Kilgore, Morehead’s oldest child, describes her father as "an understated man who shies away from the limelight"; those who know him would agree. His future plans include more time for golf and family visits. Meanwhile, Dr. Morehead will take center stage at the Malden Community Center on December 30th from 4 - 6pm, where he will be honored at a retirement reception. The public is welcome.

Malden residents will continue to be served locally by Missouri Southern Healthcare at the clinic which has long been home to Dr. Morehead—500 N Douglass Street.