Dr. Stephen Ashley Noller

Stephen Ashley Noller passed from this life peacefully, attended by loving family and friends at his home, September 6, 2022.  He valiantly fought the disease of Alzheimer’s.

He was the second son born to Henry William Noller and Kathryn Houseworth Noller of St. Louis, MO, March 19, 1949.

To say Stephen Noller led a full life would be an understatement. He loved his family, his work, his friends, traveling, photography, and golf.

He played in his first golf tournament in third grade with his mother.  His easy-going nature and positive life attitude was evident even at that early age. She shot an eight on the first hole, and he turned to his mom and stated, “Don’t worry, Mom! We have 17 more holes to win this!” And, they did. By age 17, he was the Missouri district Champion and a scratch player.

He excelled as a student and attended Princeton University, where he joined the golf team.  A favored story of his was losing a NCAA Tournament his senior year to a freshman named Ben Crenshaw from University of Texas.  In 1971, he graduated as one of the first few Biochemistry majors to come out of the newly formed department.  He then went on to attend St. Louis University School of Medicine, following his father and older brother into the field of medicine.

That summer, Stephen met his future wife Beverly Jean Pingel, who was a registered nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital and she trained him as a surgical scrub tech in the operating room for his summer job. They were married August 26, 1972.  He then went on to begin and complete his Internal Medicine internship and residency at the Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University), where his daughter, Jenny, was born. Though he was appointed Chief Resident his final year, he could not believe his good fortune when he volunteered to staff the medical tent during the Masters and scored a round of golf at Augusta National, and that honor eclipsed the other.

In 1978, Stephen began his Cardiology Fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. His son, Andrew, was born in 1979, and, to be sure, the role of father gave him a sense of purpose, pride and joy throughout his life.

In 1980 the young family moved to Macon, GA, and Stephen arrived as the second board-certified cardiologist in the community. He furthered his training with the man who invented cardiac angioplasty, Andreas Gruentzig, of Emory University.  It was revolutionary time for cardiology. Stephen became a Fellow in Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention. Stephen was instrumental in helping to establish a second open heart surgery program in Macon, which this community desperately needed.  He testified repeatedly at the GA State Legislature for a Certificate of Need for Coliseum Medical Center insisting that the community would be better and more efficiently served with a second program in place. Throughout his career he was active legislatively and was an advocate for physician and patient rights because he held the relationship between them sacrosanct.

During his 35 year career in medicine, Stephen held his patients’ care as his first priority. He was particularly fond of his military veterans and kept stacks of books about WWII, Korea, and Vietnam in his office, giving them away by the dozen.  There were extra copies of golf history books, too.  He also kept small stuffed animals in his coat pockets, which he gave to children in the hospital.  And he was a wealth of movie recommendations, which, apparently, he shared with the cath lab staff on a daily basis.

Stephen had an easy, ready smile, and his love and enjoyment of people was always evident. He was of keen and quick wit and practical jokes played on friends and colleagues occurred routinely. It might have been a yard full of plastic flamingos before it was a common joke or a funny license plate he snuck onto the front of a friend’s car which they did not notice for weeks.

He expected excellence and honesty from all, especially in his professional life. He was intolerant of laziness. His ethics were above reproach. He respected his fellow physicians and all of the medical teams he worked with. Patients were first. He was unimpressed by material trappings and valued a kind and willing heart.

He loved all children, not just his children and grandchildren. He was known as the favorite uncle.  He inspired so many young people with his tireless zest for life. He loved music of all types, art, and especially sculptures. As a life learner, he found himself as a skier and sailor, but most of all as a photographer. He was never without a camera. His best photos were of children and the candid side of weddings. He gave thousands of pictures away to friends, family, and colleagues, and he leaves a room filled with boxes and boxes of pictures.

Those who had the privilege of knowing him are surely grieving today, but he believed in God and eternal life, so we all must rejoice now and forever. He is again whole, and his mind is renewed.

Stephen Ashley Noller lives forever in the heart of his wife of 50 years.  He leaves his daughter, Jennifer Noller Johnson, her husband Dr. Brad Johnson, along with their children, Flannery and Benjamin of Athens, GA.  He leaves his son, Andrew Stephen Noller, who shares in his father’s field of cardiac care as a pacemaker rep, and his fiancée Kimberly Thomas of Bolingbroke, GA.

He leaves his brother Dr. David Noller and wife Anne of San Jose, CA.  He is mourned by their children, Dr. Mark Noller, Katherine Noller Fernandez, and Christopher Noller, and their families, also of San Jose, CA.

He is mourned by all 51 of the Pingel family who also loved him fiercely and enjoyed him completely.  And, he is mourned by his entire Noller family.

The family would like to thank his caregivers for the last 7 years: Lucy Wilson, Amy Wilson, Rachel Ivry, Susan Irby, Caroline Davis, Janet Cleaves, Randy Callaway, and Pepper Carstarphen.  We would like to especially thank Anthony Peacock who has been with and taken on ever-changing roles for the family with grace for nearly 20 years. These people are “living angels”, and Stephen’s life went more smoothly with the help of all of them. Because of them he was able to live out his final years in his beloved home, surrounded by those who will cherish him in their hearts always.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Tunnels to Towers Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association of Middle Georgia, Heartland Hospice, Wounded Warrior Project, or any local, worthy charity or rescue of your choice.

The Service celebrating his life will be October 8, 2022 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m.  The family will greet friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 7, 2022, at Hart's at the Cupola.

Please visit www.hartsmort.com to express condolences.

Hart’s at the Cupola, Hart's Mortuary and Cremation Center, 6324 Peake Rd, Macon, GA 31210 has charge of the arrangements.

Alzheimer's Association
P.O. Box 96011, Washington DC 20090
Web: https://www.alz.org/

Promedica/Heartland Hospice
5400 Riverside Dr Suite 200, Macon GA 31210
Web: http://promedicaseniorcare.org/giving

Wounded Warrior Project
7020 A.C. Skinner Parkway, Suite 100, Jacksonville FL 32256
Tel: 1-877-832-6997
Web: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/