Celebrating the life of
Dr. Thomas Jui-ting Yeh
February 06, 1929 - May 19, 2025
Dr. Thomas Jui-ting Yeh passed away peacefully on May 19, 2025 at age 96 in the comfort of the home that he and his wife built and surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Tainan, Taiwan, the direct descendent of an uninterrupted line of ten generations of physicians. He graduated first in his medical school class from National Taiwan University and immigrated to the US. He completed his general surgery residency at University of Louisville. There he met Doris who was working as a scrub nurse in the operating room. They soon fell in love and married 67 years ago. With her by his side, he completed his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. He moved his young family to Savannah, Georgia in 1967 and pioneered the first open-heart surgery program in the region. It was here that he used his skills to save the lives of literally thousands of adults and children in Georgia and beyond. He was esteemed not only as a superb technical surgeon but also for his humility and humanity. To this day, his dedication, work ethic, and clinical outcomes remain unrivaled. He was beloved by his family, patients, and the many people whose lives he touched both in and out of the hospital. Each of his three children chose to follow in his footsteps and went on to become physicians: his son a pediatric heart surgeon, his first daughter a surgical oncologist, and his second daughter an interventional cardiologist.
As Dr. Yeh retired after 41 years in cardiothoracic surgery, he embarked on a second career as a painter and was prolific in creating a body of art that continues to bring great joy to his family and his patients. To many, he will be held in high regard as an accomplished heart surgeon with both skilled and artful hands, but to those who knew him best, he will be remembered as husband, father, grandfather, colleague and friend. Tom Yeh was a renaissance man whose knowledge and curiosity extended far beyond medicine with a passion for learning, teaching, good food, the natural world, geopolitics, art, and music. He was a natural leader with a soft-spoken demeanor punctuated with a quick sense of humor, a radiant smile, and a generous and kind heart.
He is survived by his wife Doris, their two children Thomas Yeh and Jennifer Yeh (Daniel Marrash) and their three beautiful grandchildren, Kathryn Galloway, Thomas Galloway and Christopher Marrash. He is preceded in death by his beloved daughter Karen Anne Yeh.
A visitation will be held Thursday, May 29, 2025 at Fox & Weeks, Hodgson Chapel, Savannah, Georgia.
A private family graveside service will be held at Westover Cemetery in Augusta, Georgia.
We invite you to join us in celebrating the life of Thomas J. Yeh (details to be announced in the future).
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to his alma mater the Medical College of Georgia to honor his legacy for teaching.
To the Yeh family you have our deepest condolences. We are sorry for your loss .Your husband and Father was a great man . We will continue to pray for your family.
- Yasmin Grant and Liz Grant , Savannah , Georgia
My deepest condolences. Dr. Yeh was such a kind gentleman
- Brenda Simpson, Tybee Island , Georgia
My sincere condolences on the passing of your beloved father and husband. He will be remembered very fondly by me, as one who quickly accepted me as a colleague on my arrival to Savannah. His surgical skills and patient skills were truly amazing. He will be remembered fondly.
- Stephen Morris , Savannah , GA
Praying for you all.That God will comfort you all hearts. Dr.Yeh was a brilliant Heart Surgeon!!!!!
- Barbara Ann Griffin , Savannah, Georgia
To the family of Dr. T. Yeh: I am so very sorry to learn of Dr. Yeh's passing. I have tremendous respect for his long history of life saving contributions to the medical community of Savannah, including some of my own patients. I know that John held him in highest regard, with great admiration of his surgical skill. He will be sorely missed. My sincerest condolences, Jeanne Hungerpiller
- Jeanne Hungerpiller, Savannah, GA
Sympathy to Dr.Yeh,s family. I was fortunate to work with him in surgery at MMC . He was so dedicated to his patients as well as the staff that worked with him
- CAROLYN EMERICK, SAVANNAH, GA
Please accept our sincere condolences. Praying for your family during these difficult times.
- Dr. Calin Badea and Dr. Traiana Pacurar , Richmond Hill , GA
I admired Dr. Yeh so much. His surgical skills were the best and most refined that I have seen in 39 years of doing anesthesia. The way he taught was very sublime. He was generous with his knowledge and resources. He left a great impact on all who worked with him. May God bless his family as they celebrate his life and grieve his passing.
- Karl King, Savannah, GA
I am so sorry for your loss. Dr Yey performed open heart surgery on my dad in December of 1977. It was a wonderful experience for my family! I now know his daughter Dr Yey, whom I think the world of. So although we are not close, your family has touched mine in many, special ways and my heart goes out to you for your loss. God Bless and peace be with you, Dr Yey's, and your family!
- Sandra Shea Davis, Savannah, GA
A surgeon the likes of whom will never be seen again. The pinnacle of our craft and the beginning of our decline. Goodbye to The Wizard, thank God that I am old enough to have witnessed first hand what good surgery was suppose to look like.
- John, Savannah , GA
Dr. Yeh was an excellent surgeon who performed the best heart disease procedures ever! God bless he and his family at this time of loss.
- Bonnie, Savannah, GA
I joined Dr. Yeh's surgical team in 1970 in its infancy as his perfusionist. Over the next 30 years I worked with a surgeon whose vast knowledge of his craft was only second to his surgical hands. Dr. Yeh was truly a magician in surgery. He was a perfectionist and expected the same from his surgical team. His ability to make a complicated heart procedure just another day at the office was uncanny. I've heard him say on many occasions "My work is my hobby and my hobby is my work" and work he did. His team became his second family and he probably spent more time with us than his family and we loved every minute. Dr. Yeh's heart program in Savannah was in many ways better known nationally than it was locally. There were patients that would attempt to obtain a second opinion from nationally known programs such as Texas and Ohio. The surgeons would say to the patients, Dr. Yeh has an excellent program in Savannah that is second to none. Why come here? Dr. Yeh was a magnificent surgeon and a wonderful person with a great sense of humor. I was part of the team but he was also my friend. Larry Shelton
- Larry Shelton, Savannah, Ga
To Doris and Family what a great life ,remember the good times.
- Ronnie Phillips , Rincon, Ga 31326
So sorry for your loss,Dr.Yeh will be missed,Dr Yeh did open heart surgery on my dad,back in 1974,my dad was one of the first recipient of the Triple by pass surgery,also knew Jennifer his daughter,from Memorial,hopes & prayers for your family.
- Michael Harvey, Savannah, Georgia
Dr. Yeh, Dan and Thomas, I am thinking of you and your family. Seems like the hardest parts in life happen all at once at times. However, we know that God does not make mistakes.
- Kimberly Goodwin, Savannah, Ga
Dr. Yeh saved my life twice from spontaneous pneumothrax. Once in 1979 and again in 1989. I will forever be grateful for him. I am so sorry to hear of his passing. He was a skilled surgeon like no other. Condolences to his family.
- Mary Lamer, Palm Coast, Florida
Services under the direction of:
Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel
912-352-7200
- Visitation
- 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thu, May 29, 2025
- Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel
-
7200 Hodgson Memorial Drive (map)
Savannah GA 31406 - 912-352-7200
