Dr. Louis Thomas Maxey

Dr. Louis Thomas Maxey, born on August 8, 1913 in Indianapolis, Indiana to the loving parents of James and Pearl Maxey and entered eternal life in Long Beach, Mississippi on August 29, 2005 at the age of 92. Dr. Louis Maxey spent his primary and secondary years in Indianapolis, IN where he finished high school at the age of 15 and earned a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Degree from Butler University in Indianapolis at the age of 20. He practiced pharmacy for 12 years and with the assistance of his brother Paul Maxey he owned and managed his own drug store MAXEY'S CUT RATE DRUGS. At the beginning of World War II he volunteered for the Medical Administrative Corps of the Army and was sent to Marquette University where he intended to study medicine. Instead he was sent to dental school where he earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery at Marquette University. He graduated from dental school in 1946 and practiced dentistry for 2-1/2 years. His interest in medicine prompted him to attend medical school in Lausanne Switzerland, from which he graduated in 1953. He did six years of residency training at Cook County Hospital, Roswell Park Hospital and Purdue University and was the first to complete a new program in Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery at Cook County Hospital. This program included cross training in oral surgery. He was among the first three African-American resident to be trained at Cook County Hospital. Dr. Louis Maxey served as Chief Resident and Co-Chief Resident while completing his residency at the following affiliations: Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL; Provident Hospital in Chicago, IL; Roswell Park Cancer Hospital in Buffalo, NY; and St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette, IN. It was at Provident Hospital while serving as a resident in the late 1950s where Dr. Louis Maxey met his wife Harneitha Elizabeth Rice who was a registered nurse. In 1980, Dr. Louis Maxey and his family relocated to Long Beach, Mississippi where he opened a private practice with the assistance of his Harneitha "Rice" Maxey and retired his practice in 1993. Dr. Louis Maxey was extremely involved in various organizations throughout the Gulf Coast Community. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (becoming a member in the early 1930s in Indianapolis, Indiana); founding member and first president of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues Commission; mentor in the Gulfport School District Mentoring program; and member of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Long Beach, Mississippi. Dr. Louis Maxey leaves to cherish his memories three sons: Louis T. Maxey, Jr. (Milwaukee, WI), James H. Maxey (Long Beach, MS) and Roger T. Maxey (Jackson, MS); two grandchildren: Kwame Maxey (Milwaukee, WI) and Kayden Maxey (Fort Myers, FL); and his niece, Natalia Maxey (Chicago, IL). Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday, September 14, 2005 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Gulfport. Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, O'Neal Road was in charge of arrangements.