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Warren Glea Sarrell, Sr. (October 16, 1924 - September 27, 2012) was a distinguished member of the US Armed Forces, an avid philanthropist, and the founder of Sarrell Dental & Eye Centers (2004)

Personal Life
Dr. Sarrell was born in Rockwood, Tennessee (the eldest of three children) to Dr. James Edgar Sarrell and Doris Kindred Sarrell. He attended Copper Basin High School where he graduated as valedictorian before receiving a bachelor of science from West Virginia University. In 1948 he earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Cornell Medical College in New York City. After interning at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, serving as a resident at Grady Hospital, and acting as a fellow and chief medical resident at Emory University Hospital, Dr. Sarrell moved to Anniston, Alabama in 1954 to begin his medical practice.

Family
Sarrell's first wife, Martha Jean Pope Sarrell, passed away from battling cancer in 1967 after giving birth to 5 children. In 1970, Sarrell re-married to Lela Jane Blocker Sarrell and had another daughter. He is survived by his 6 children, his brother, 14 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.

Military Involvement
In 1941 Dr. Sarrell enlisted in the US Navy to serve during World War II. After receiving his MD, Dr. Sarrell was drafted into the US Army in 1951. As the rank of Captain, he served as a medic during the Korean War.

Decorations

 * Combat Medical Badge
 * Bronze Star Medal
 * Distinguished Unit Citation
 * Korean Service Medal (with two bronze stars)
 * UN Service Medal
 * Army of Occupation Medal (Japan Clasp)

Career
Dr. Sarrell served the Anniston, Alabama community as a cardiologist and internal medicine practitioner from 1954 until his retirement in 1999. During his 45 years of practice, Sarrell continually strove to improve the health-care services in his community. He was the co-founder of the Anniston Medical Clinic and served as president from 1960-1997, co-founder of the Regional Medical Center Foundation (1977), and he assisted in the development of the ICU and Heart Cath Lab at the Regional Medical Center, establishing the first catheterization lab in 1972. He was also the chair of the Northeast Alabama Regional Health Planning Association from 1969-1974, vice president of the Alabama Chapter of the American Heart Association, and president of the Southeastern Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine in 1972.

Philanthropic Efforts
Sarrell's involvement with the health of the community inspired him to philanthropic work. He was a member of the Anniston Kiwanis Club for 38 years, participated in countless volunteer efforts, and founded the Sarrell Dental & Eye Centers in 2004. Dr. Robert Lokey (a physician who practiced with Dr. Sarrell) stated that Sarrell, "...was a consummate physician and he cared about people and his whole life was spent trying to make people’s lives better" (2012).

Sarrell Dentel & Eye Centers
The first stages of Sarrell Dental & Eye Centers began in 2000 when The Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama conducted a health assessment addressing the limitations of access to healthcare. The assessment found a limitation of low-income households in receiving dental care. In 2004, the Foundation's Trustees named Dr. Sarrell the chair of a task force dedicated to solving the problem of insufficient dental care to low-income households. Receiving funds from the Foundation as well as other not-for-profit organizations, Sarrell's task force started the Calhoun County Dental Center at the Regional Medical Center, later changing the name to Sarrell Dental Center in honor of the founder. Recognizing struggles in conducting an efficient and successful dental center, Sarrell consulted Jeffrey Parker in 2005, offering Parker the position of CEO. After Parker became the CEO, the Center has experienced 30 consecutive quarters of growth. The Center has also grown from one clinic in Anniston, Alabama to 14 clinics throughout Alabama, 5 optical clinics within the dental clinics, and a bus equipped with the services needed to treat dental needs. The Center has served over 400,000 children since its opening and continues to expand despite complications from the medical community.

Death
After battling Multiple Myeloma, Dr. Sarrell passed away in his home in Anniston, Alabama on September 27, 2012 at the age of 87. In a last act of philanthropy, Sarrell donated his body to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to be used as research on Myeloma.

Awards and Honors

 * Anniston Kiwanis Club Kiwanian of the Year (1969)
 * Kiwanis Kiwanis Club George E. Hixon Award (2000)
 * J. Mercer Barnett Fellow of the Alabama Kiwanis Foundation (2005)
 * Anniston Star "Man of the Year" in 1976
 * Anniston Rotary Club Paul Harris Award