Benjamin Rivers Ogburn, M.D., 92, of Tallahassee, Fla., and South Bristol, passed away peacefully, on Thursday, March 14, 2024. He was born in Lawrenceville, Va., to William Jones Ogburn and Lena Rivers (née Jones) Ogburn on June 22, 1931. He was the fifth of six children, all of whom have predeceased him. He was raised on a dairy farm and retired as a respected psychiatrist, who spent over 36 years giving service to his country, achieving rank of captain in the U.S. Navy Reserves.
Ben “Chub” Ogburn learned his work ethic at the young age of 13, working on the family farm and delivering milk to the local community. He developed a sense of adventure from early in life and this led him to many of his experiences and successes.
He attended Hampden-Sydney College in southern Virginia and graduated in 1952. He continued his education by attending the Medical College of Virginia, where he obtained his medical degree. He returned to Lawrenceville to practice medicine and set up a practice as a family physician. However, he had other dreams and wanted to serve his country.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a flight surgeon. Ben always had a love for flying, and through his service as a flight surgeon he was able to obtain his private pilot license. He enjoyed traveling the world and completed cruises on the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) and USS Saratoga (CVA-60) where he traveled throughout the Mediterranean and the Far East.
While based in Jacksonville, Fla. he met his wife, Dorothy Eleanor Dixon, they were married in 1963 and had a son, Ben Jr., in Durham, N.C., where he was pursuing a residency in psychiatry at Duke University.
They moved back to Florida, where he worked as a psychiatrist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Gainesville, and later with the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee. In 1970 he married Elizabeth Pinkston Lindsey, who had two daughters; Anne and Kim. He remained in the Naval Reserves while working as a psychiatrist. As a reservist he was able to continue his service, and to travel, including a two-week trip to Rota, Spain, that he enjoyed with his family.
He continued his naval career on active duty with service in Pensacola, Fla. (Naval Hospital, NAMI), Brunswick (VP-44), and London, U.K. (U.S. Navy Clinic). His sense of adventure led him and Beth to visit and to live in multiple locations including London, U.K., and Napier, N.Z. Since returning from New Zealand he and Beth split their time between Tallahassee, Fla., and South Bristol. Wherever they went, they made lifelong friends, and were always welcoming hosts to friends and family in their homes.
Ben will be remembered by the way he cared for those he loved, his sense of humor, and his constant evaluation of your traits: i.e. how you eat your corn. Ben was considered a true “southern gentleman,” and was always the first to be there to support his family and friends. He was very active, and as a runner he completed three marathons. He loved outdoor activities including golf, tennis, skiing, hiking, and just observing nature. He also loved to share his homes and a good bottle of wine with friends. Ben led a well-lived life, and leaves behind many who loved him, including son, Ben Jr. (Heather); stepdaughters, Anne Lindsey and Kim (Al) Basford; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
In keeping with his wishes, to honor his military service his remains will be interred in the Tallahassee National Cemetery, on May 20, 2024 at noon.
At a later date, his family and friends will commemorate his life at his coastal home in Maine.
