James MD

James Alfred Sheffield, MD
James Alfred Sheffield MD, 86, passed away on December 12, 2017, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. The son of Dr. Gettis T. and Verda Stidham Sheffield, Jim was born on April 5, 1931 in Jackson MS. He lived in many cities with his family until he came to Gulfport in 1941. He graduated from Gulfport High School in 1949 where he lettered in football his junior and senior years.
He attended the University of Mississippi where he was a three-year pre-med student, president of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and a proud mem�ber of the winning "Murder Bowl" football game between the medical students and the law students. He completed his medical degree at the University of Tennessee in 1955, his internship in 1956, and finished his residency in 1959 in pediatrics at John Gaston Hospital/Le Bonheur Children's Hospital University of Tennessee, Memphis.
Jim joined the United States Air Force in 1959 where he was commissioned as a Cap�tain and was assigned to the Wheelus AFB hospital in Tripoli, Libya for three years. While there he was a pediatric consultant for the Eighth Air Force and traveled to Greece, Crete, and Turkey on numerous consultation trips. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his meritorious service in pediatric medicine. He later served at Keesler AFB and Mather AFB, in California. He was honor�ably discharged from the Air Force in 1964 and returned to the Gulf Coast as the first board certified pediatrician in Gulfport. After several years in private practice, he established Gulf Coast Pediatric Clinic and enjoyed a long association with Dr. Bryant McCrary and numer�ous other pediatricians. Dr. Sheffield retired from practice in March 2003.
Dr. Sheffield was a member of First United Methodist Church - Gulfport where he served on the Board of Trustees. Children were his love, and he traveled to Chinle AZ with his wife and FUMC mission team where he served as pediatrician for the Navajo children attending Vacation Bible School there. He was a member of the American Medical Association, Missis�sippi Medical Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics. He was a member of the Biloxi Yacht Club and was a former member of the Gulfport Yacht Club. He loved to tell the story about holding on to his overturned sailboat overnight with three friends when he was fifteen years old and getting his first airplane ride in a rescue plane. However, his favorite stories were about all the unusual pediatric cases and wonderful families he cared for during his 44 years in practice.
Gardening, especially grow�ing his prized tomatoes, was one of his passions. He was also an avid duck and quail hunter in Mississippi and Louisiana and enjoyed pheas�ant hunting in South Dakota, Montana, and Kansas. He trained many champion dogs throughout the years and was very proud of the ribbons his dogs were awarded in their field trials. In later years, he enjoyed traveling and cruis�ing with this wife, family and friends to Canada, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Alaska, and many other states.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Gettis T. and Verda Sheffield; two brothers, Dr. W. Edward Shef�field (Dorothy), and Dr. Troy E. Sheffield (Janice); and one sister, Katherine Doster (John).
He is survived by his wife, Sonja Wilkes Sheffield of Gulfport; three sons, James A. Sheffield II (Trang) of Houston TX, Dr. Eugene G. Sheffield of Memphis TN, and George Nelson Shef�field of San Antonio TX; one brother, Robert L. Sheffield (Judie) of Milton GA; three step-children, Shelli Jordan (Lewis) of Little Rock AR, Alan Hodges of Atlanta GA, and Mickey Bellande, Jr. of Biloxi MS; seven grandchil�dren, Sarah Cummins (Kyler), Stephen, Bryan, Harrison, Grant, James III and Connor Sheffield all of Texas; and five nephews, Dr. W. Edward Sheffield (Carol), Dr. Robert W. Sheffield, Michael G. Shef�field, Dr. Gerald A. Sheffield (Susan), David Sheffield; and two nieces, Jeanne Sheffield Estrada PhD (Wayne) and Jennifer Sheffield.
The family would like to express our sincere gratitude to Seashore Highlands for their devoted care of Dr. Sheffield as well as Camelia Hospice, especially Kat Norton RN and Nichole Walker CNA.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 29 at 12:30 at First United Method�ist Church, 2301 15th Street, Gulfport with visitation two hours before the service. A private interment will follow at the National Cemetery, Veterans Blvd, Biloxi.
In lieu of flowers, the fam�ily prefers donations to First United Methodist Church, 2301 15th St, Gulfport MS 39503; St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude's Place, Memphis TN 38105; or The FedEx Family House, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, 918 Poplar Ave, Memphis TN 39104.
RIEMANN FAMILY FU�NERAL HOME, 11280 Three Rivers Road, Gulfport is serv�ing the family.
An online obituary may be viewed and memories shared at www.riemannfamily.com.