By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
Philanthropist, author, pediatrician ó Dr. Glenn Kiser was many things to many people.
Kiser died Friday at the age of 92.
His funeral will be 10 a.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church.
“He was always jovial. He had a very positive attitude. As a physician, he was very interested in the community and how to attract, recruit and keep well-trained physicians,” said Jim Freeman.
Freeman is a member of the Rowan Regional Medical Center Foundation and former hospital CEO.
Freeman said he heard of Kiser’s death mid-day on Friday.
Freeman said Kiser was adamant about making sure this community had well-trained doctors.
“Kiser was a strong a philanthropic person in the community. I knew him because he gave money to Foundation,” Freeman said.
Aside from his philanthropy, Freeman says Kiser had interests other than medical matters and photography was one of them. He said Kiser had an extensive collection of movie star photographs.
“He was quite a photographer. He photographed key people across America and people from Hollywood,” Freeman said.
He gathered with other men at a local Chinese restaurant to have coffee every morning, Freeman said.
“He was always very pleasant, warm and receiving. A real joy to be around,” Freeman said.
Kiser opened an office in Salisbury in 1948, caring for infants and children.
Kiser and his wife, Muriel, did a lot for the community, including donating $100,000 to Catawba College for an ethics center in 2000.
He served as chief of pediatrics and president of the medical staff. In 1996, he received the Long Leaf Pine Award, the highest civilian award given by the state.
In 1994, the Kisers established trusts to Lutheran Services for the Aging, to be divided equally between Trinity Oaks retirement center and Lutheran Nursing Home, and an $817,000 trust to Catawba College. Kiser also created a trust for his hometown of Bessemer City.
In 1997, the couple gifted $1 million to Duke Children’s Health Center campaign.
In 1998, Kiser was named the Lions Club Man of The Year.
He was head of both the Salisbury Lions and Toastmasters.
Kiser helped develop the concept of child-proof containers and raised public awareness of poison safety.
He retired from medicine in 1955.
“Dr. Kiser will be missed. Particularly by the medical center. He will be missed,” Freeman said.