Dr. Frank Carroll, Jr.

Frank Edward Carroll, Jr., M.D. was a Board Certified Diagnostic Radiologist and licensed Nuclear Medicine physician, who left this life on July 7th, 2023 at 81 years of age, comfortably surrounded by those that he loved. He was born on October 25th, 1941 in Philadelphia, PA, where he attended parochial schools through high school, then attended St. Joseph's University, and Drexel University School of Medicine (previously Hahnemann University) where he graduated in 1967.

Frank served in the US Navy from 1963-1973 during the Vietnam War and did a rotating internship at Oakland Naval Hospital, then volunteered for duty in the U.S.Navy Submarine Service attending the Submarine Medical School in Groton, CT, where he studied submarine and diving medicine. At graduation, he was assigned to SSBN 659, the Will Rogers, a Polaris nuclear ballistic missile submarine as the boat's physician. After returning from submarine patrol, he was transferred to the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA as the base physician. When he left active duty in 1970 having attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander, he began a residency in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. He later transferred to the University of California at San Francisco where he completed his residency and a research and academic fellowship. He then accepted an Assistant Professorship on the faculty of Yale University School of Medicine as head of the Thoracic Radiology section. He later entered private practice in the San Francisco Bay area and after several years another position at Franklin Regional Medical Center in Franklin, PA.

While in Franklin, he maintained an Adjunct Assistant Professorship at Duke University in research, and served as President of the Franklin/Oil City chapter of the American Cancer Society, and on the Board of Director's of the Franklin Ambulance Service.

In 1983, he accepted an Assistant Professorship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as head of the Chest/Thoracic Radiology section. Through the ensuing 35 years, he was promoted to Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences with a joint appointment in Physics and Astronomy. On retirement, he received the honor of promotion to Emeritus Professor.

During his career, he was honored by being elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the honor medical society, made a Fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR), a Fellow of the College of Chest Physicians (FCCP), a Fellow of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (FASLMS) and a member of Sigma Xi.

He was one of the founders of the Vanderbilt University Free Electron Laser Center, a spin-off of the military’s “Star Wars program", where he and a group of other scientists developed a machine that was capable of producing tunable monochromatic X-rays for which he was awarded 10 patents. This work resulted in the creation of a privately held company MXISystems, Inc where he served as Chief Medical Officer, and subsequently CEO.

Frank published extensively in medical and physics journals with over 80 manuscripts in major journals, 10 book chapters, 37 abstracts, and 11 exhibits, and was awarded multiple grants.

His primary love in medicine was teaching and interacting with the residents and students learning radiology. He was able to simultaneously do all of this while delivering extensive patient care needed in all of the institutions at which he worked and taught, and serving on 52 committees in the medical center and the undergraduate school.

His hobbies included photography, designing and building electronic devices, and computer programming. He, like both of his sons, was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

During the 40 years that he lived with his family in Nashville, TN, he, like his lovely wife Sassy volunteered their services to assist many charitable organizations in their fund raising efforts, such as Cheekwood's Swan Ball and The Antiques and Garden Show, The Nashville Opera, where he served on the Board of Directors, The Nashville Symphony, The Nashville Ballet and The Tennessee Repertory Theater.

On retirement, he and Sassy moved to their home at Center Hill Lake.

Frank is survived by his wife Sassy, their sons Frank and Mark, their daughter-in-law Susan, their grandchildren Zoe and Leo, his sisters Barbara Shea (Ron) and Judy Owens (Paul), his sister in law Colleen Reiter (Jeff), his sister in law Jeanie Biser (Daryl),his brother-in-law Colin Dever and being blessed with multiple nieces and nephews and their children and  grandchildren. Frank was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Marie Carroll, and his brother John.

A private service will be held with family. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203 (615)327-1085. www.alivehospice.org

Hooper Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. (931)526-6111 Share condolences and memories at www.hhhfunerals.com.