Dr. James L. Boerner obituary
Dr. James L. Boerner, age 69, of Murfreesboro, TN passed away Friday, April 9, 2021. He was born February 27, 1952 in Circleville, OH to the late Aurthur Richard, III and Carol Jane Wohlgamuth Boerner. He graduated from Owensboro High School in Owensboro, KY and attended the University of Kentucky. In his third year at UK, Dr. Boerner was granted early admission to the University of Louisville Medical School without a college degree. He received his medical degree in 1977 from the University of Louisville. He continued his education with an externship at the Cleveland Clinic in Pediatrics. He completed his residency at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, OH in 1981. He then moved to Murfreesboro and opened his practice as a board-certified OB/GYN for 40 years.
Dr. Boerner is known as the physician who delivered the last baby at the old hospital location on N. Highland Ave. and the first baby at the new hospital location on Medical Center Parkway. Over the span of his career, he delivered over 10,000 babies. Dr. Boerner also served as a Laborist at St. Thomas Rutherford where he shared his talents with colleagues, residents, medical students, and nurses.
Dr. Boerner served as assistant professor of clinical medical education at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine. In 2017 and again in 2020, the Residents and Medical Student he taught awarded him Professor of the Year. In 2016, Dr. Boerner was named Physician Champion of the Year. In 2017 he received the Clinical Excellence Award from Saint Thomas Rutherford for his work with the Residency program.
Dr. Boerner was passionate about the work done through the Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation. He was Chairman of the Foundation Board from 2018 to 2020 and continued to serve on the Board as Past President until his passing. He and his wife, Sydney, co-chaired the $10,000,000 capital campaign successfully completed last year and they funded the naming of the Labor and Delivery waiting room. They are this year’s Dr. Liz Rhea Philanthropist of the Year recipients for 2021.
Dr. Boerner was actively involved with Rotary for 40 years, serving as President in both 1990 and 2008. He served on the Board of Directors of Volunteer Behavioral Health Service for over 35 years and currently served as Chairman of the Board.
Dr. Boerner is survived by his wife, Sydney Boerner; children, Jennifer Holsted and Benjamin Boerner; step-children, Lissa Young and her husband Davis, Emma McDaniel and her husband Tate, and Kevin Kimbrough and his wife Lisa; brothers, Tom Boerner and Art Boerner, M.D.; and twelve grandchildren.
For those who wish, memorials may be made to the Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation, 1700 Medical Center Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129.
A celebration of Dr. Boerner’s life will be held at a later date.
An online guestbook is available for the family at www.woodfinchapel.com. Woodfin Memorial Chapel (615) 893-5151.
