John J. Shea Jr.

John Joseph Shea Jr. (September 4, 1924 – February 8, 2015) was an American medical doctor, professor and surgeon.[1]

This article is for the ear surgeon. For other people named John Shea, see John Shea (disambiguation).

John J. Shea Jr.
Born	September 4, 1924 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	February 8, 2015 (aged 90) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Notre Dame Harvard Medical School
Spouse(s)	Lynda Lee Mead ​ (m. 1964)​
Children	5
Scientific career
Fields	Otology
Institutions	Shea Ear Clinic University of Tennessee University of Mississippi University of North Carolina Tulane University

He attended Christian Brothers High School, Memphis, Tennessee, the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Medical School. He performed the first successful reconstructive stapedectomy in May, 1956.[2] The patient was a 54-year-old housewife with conductive hearing loss so severe that she could no longer hear at all, even with a hearing aid. Shea removed the stapes, covered the oval window opening with a vein graft removed from the back of the patient's hand, and inserted a prosthesis to replace the diseased stapes bone. The patient’s hearing was restored and she heard well for the rest of her life. He pioneered numerous techniques in the treatment of hearing loss and dizziness, developed many instruments and prostheses to restore hearing, and worked to advance the knowledge and understanding of the treatment of ear disease. [3]

He was a Clinical Professor in the Ear, Nose and Throat Departments of the University of Tennessee, the University of Mississippi, the University of North Carolina and Tulane University.

Family

Shea was married to the former Lynda Lee Mead (Miss America, 1960); the couple had five children.[4] He died on February 8, 2015.[5][6]

References

1. Frank Embrick Bass (1961). "Who's who in Tennessee". Retrieved 2015-02-23.
2. Glasscock, Michael E., and Aina J. Gulya. Glasscock-Shambaugh Surgery of the Ear. Hamilton, Ontario: BC Decker, 2003; p. 518
3. "The Doctors who are World Leaders in Treatment of Ear Disease". 2007-08-09. Archived from the original on 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
4. White, Stephanie Nerissa (March 31, 2013). "Dr. John Shea Presents his Professional Papers to the Memphis Public Library". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
5. "Renowned Memphis physician dies". bizjournals.com. February 9, 2015.
6. "Celebrating the life of John J. Shea Jr., M.D. | September 4, 1924 to February 8th, 2015". 2015-02-15. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-23.

External links

• Shea clinic home page
• John Shea Blog on Stapedectomy