Georgia CORE Mourns the Loss of its Esteemed Chairman
1/05/2016
Thomas Edwin Seay, MD, PhD
December 9, 1951 – December 26, 2015
“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
With great sadness, the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (CORE) mourns the loss of its esteemed chairman Thomas E. Seay, MD, PhD. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife Cindy, stepdaughter Alex, his family and friends. Dr. Seay died unexpectedly on Saturday, December 26, 2015.
A medical oncologist for more than 25 years, he was in private practice with Atlanta Cancer Care (ACC), an affiliate of Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, where he served as President and Managing Partner. Dr. Seay was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia CORE. He served as the organization’s Chairman from 2009 until his death. He was also a Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Cancer Scientist and held research leadership positions for programs in Georgia funded by the National Cancer Institute.
Born December 9, 1951, in Athens, Georgia, he received a B.S. from the University of Georgia, a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from East Tennessee State University, and a MD from James H. Quilllen College of Medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee. Before joining ACC, he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Bone Marrow Transplant and Leukemia Program at the Emory University School of Medicine and Winship Cancer Institute. His life was devoted to caring for cancer patients and to the advancement of scientific research in oncology. As Chair of the Board of Directors for Georgia CORE, he helped insure that patients throughout Georgia would have access to clinical trials. He was also a leader in the development of Georgia CORE’s Clinical Research Network.
Dr. Seay is remembered as a physician with a keen intellect who continually searched for new and effective treatments to cure and control cancer. He was a visionary who held fast to the conviction that cancer care would be improved through collaborative research among the state’s community and academic oncologists. His compassionate manner, insight and wry sense of humor endeared him to patients and their families. Physicians highly valued his unique skills and abilities; he was an esteemed colleague and leader and was widely sought after for expert opinions. He was also recognized by his peers as one of Atlanta Magazine’s Top Doctors.
Nancy Paris, President of Georgia CORE, remembers a note from Dr. Seay during a time of organizational uncertainty that was a source of great comfort. Like his leadership, the above quote by Quaker William Penn will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for Georgia CORE as the Board of Directors develops plans to honor his legacy.
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