John Hamilton Caughran

John Hamilton Caughran of Charlotte, North Carolina passed away peacefully after a brief illness at the age of 95 on November 24, 2022.

John was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to parents B. Howard (BH) Caughran, a US District Attorney, and Effie Mae East, a homemaker, both originally of Tennessee. He had one older sister, Joan Caughran. John attended Indiana University from 1948 to 1952 where he studied medicine. While there, he met fellow student Carolyn Ann (Connie) Slack of Flossmoor, Illinois.

He and Connie married in 1951 before moving to Galveston, Texas where he interned at Galveston Medical Center. Following that, they lived in Memphis, Tennessee, where he completed his residency in orthopedic surgery. In 1954, they again lived briefly in Indianapolis where their first son Keith was born, then moved to Danville, California, where he served as a captain in the US Air Force. They finally settled in Charlotte in 1958 where John became a partner of Charlotte Orthopedic Clinic (now OrthoCarolina), specializing in spine and foot surgeries.

Their family continued to grow with the addition of sons Bruce in 1961 and Neil in 1963. John was a member of the Medical Legal Society, and he and Connie had many close friends in the community. They loved to travel and visited most of the states, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Israel, North Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, frequently making friends they communicated with for years.  Locally, they enjoyed spending time at Lake Wylie, SC, Blowing Rock, NC, and various beaches in North and South Carolina.  

John loved visiting with his sons and watching his grandchildren grow. He was also a passionate gardener, an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, and an ardent follower of politics.

John is survived by his sons Keith (Ann) Caughran of Charlotte, NC, Bruce (Sonya) Caughran of Sarasota, FL, and Neil (Laura) Caughran of Matthews, NC and his four grandchildren, Scott, Kaitlyn, Steven, and Christopher. He was preceded in death by his parents BH and Effie, his sister Joan, and Connie - his beloved wife of 68 years.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice and Palliative Care – Charlotte Region or Loaves and Fishes

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