Magruder "Mac" Sullivan Corban

Magruder Sullivan Corban, M.D., 88, died at home on July 17, 2021, with his family by his side. He lived an exemplary life that reflected his core values of religious faith, hard work, education, respect for others and community service. Magruder was preceded in death by his parents, Judge Lawrence C. Corban and Eleanor Genevieve “Gene” Sullivan Corban, his brother Lawrence “Larry” Cunningham Corban, Jr., his sister Pattie Beth Corban Gunn, and his grandson Paul Butler King, III. Magruder is survived by his wife of 66 years, Margaret “Peggy” Hathorn Corban, daughters Karen Corban Appleby, Christine Corban O’Bannon (Louis), Margaret Corban King (Robert Muller), son John Eric Corban (Carol), and a large family including 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, cousins and extended family. Magruder was born in Biloxi, MS on September 26, 1932. He grew up in Biloxi and graduated from Biloxi High School in 1950. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Millsaps College in 1954 where he was President of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and received several honors. He received a M.D. degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine in 1957. He served a rotating internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, LA and was then assigned to duty in England and Norway as a general medical officer in the U.S. Air Force. He and his family returned to New Orleans in 1962, where he entered a four-year training program in orthopedic surgery at Tulane University and Charity Hospital. Upon completion of his specialty training in 1966, the family moved to Gulfport, MS where he joined Griffin Bland M.D. to form the Gulfport Orthopedic Clinic. He practiced continuously in that clinic until his retirement in 2000. He was a member of local, state, and national medical societies. He was certified by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He was also a member of the Clinical Orthopedic Society and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He was on the staff of Memorial Hospital at Gulfport and served as chief of surgery and chief of the medical staff. He was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church and served in various leadership roles. He had a strong sense of civic responsibility and, as a member of the Harrison County Emergency Medical Service Board, was instrumental in establishing the first medically equipped ambulance service (Mobile Medic) on the Gulf Coast. He was a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Gulfport, the Keep Gulfport Beautiful Commission, and the Old Spanish Trail Heritage Foundation. He was also a member of Century Club and Gulfport Yacht Club. An active member in the Gulf Coast Carnival Association, he reigned as the Gulf Coast Carnival Association’s 58th King d’Iberville in 1984. He had a strong interest in genealogy and history. A member of First Families of Mississippi, he also remained connected to extended branches of his family. He took an active interest in Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis Home, Library and Botanical Garden. He was a member of the citizen’s advisory group for the Gulf Coast botanical garden at Beauvoir and a chairman of the development commission – an activity that combined his love of history and horticulture. He started growing vegetables as a boy and enjoyed many years of farming, nurturing a large pecan orchard and bountiful harvests of fruits and vegetables. His love of travel began with his tour of duty in Norway – a time that he called the high point of his life. Over the years, he and his family traveled throughout the United States and abroad. In his early years, he was an avid fisherman and enjoyed hunting. He and his wife were active in many social organizations and he relished the joy of a wide circle of long-time friends. The gardens of his home, a circa 1895 house on the gulf, that he and his wife purchased in 1988 and named Oak Haven, include an impressive collection of hundreds of camellias and many other plants. He was an active member of the American Camellia Society, past president of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Camellia Society and served as Gulf Coast Camellia Show marshal. Though the home and gardens were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina; his tireless perseverance in restoring them to their formal beauty has resulted in a home that reflects the name of his favorite camellia - “Pink Perfection”. The family wishes to thank the long service of those individuals who cared for Dr. Corban in recent years including Alfred Simmons, Marilyn Turnage, Amanda Fairly, Claudette Casey, St. Joseph Hospice and the staff of Memorial Hospital. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations to be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 5007 Lawson Ave., Gulfport, MS, 39507. Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 24, 2021, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Gulfport from 9:00 to 11:00 am, with services immediately following. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport is honored to serve the Corban family. View and sign the online register at www.bokfh.com