NATCHEZ­ — Services for Dr. Donald Edward Killelea, 82, of Natchez, who died Friday, March 13, 2009, at Natchez Regional Medical Center, will be 2p.m. Tuesday, at St. Mary Basilica with the Revs. David O’Connor and Mike O’Brien officiating.

Burial will follow at Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at the church.

Dr. Killelea was born Aug. 25, 1926, in New Orleans, the son of Edward Joseph and Genevieve Killelea.

He was a pediatrician who began practicing medicine in Natchez in 1953. He grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas, after graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Texas. He left the university in 1944 to serve in the U.S. Army and was stationed on a hospital ship as a medical administrative officer. He returned to the University of Texas and graduated with a bachelor’s degree, and enrolled at Tulane University in 1948. He received his medical degree in 1952. He came to Natchez in 1953 as a general practitioner to join former schoolmate Dr. Robert Barnes. In 1955 Dr. Killelea meet and married Katherine Ferguson. In 1959, Dr. Killelea returned to Tulane to complete his pediatric training. After a two-year medical residency there, he returned to his practice in Natchez. In 1970, he established the Children’s Clinic where he practiced with Dr. Louis Lehmann and Dr. John Coffey. In 1967, Dr. Killelea developed the first hospital neonatal intensive care unit in Mississippi. He and Dr. Coffey, in 1967, collaborated as the first physicians in the state to place babies on ventilators to help them breathe. In 1963, Dr. Killelea organized Mississippi’s first distribution of oral polio vaccines. He was appointee in the board of trustees of Jefferson Davis Memorial Hospital (now Natchez Regional Medical Center) in 1966. He was the first medical doctor to server on the hospital board. While practicing medicine he also taught at Tulane University for more than 30 years as an instructor and clinical professor of pediatrics. He helped to establish Pleasant Acre Day School and served as its long-time president. He developed a speech therapy program in 1964 that later became part of the Natchez Public School System. He also helped develop in 1967 a program for children with learning disabilities that was the first of its kind in the state. Dr. Killelea retired in 1997 after practicing medicine for 45 years.

He was also on the Britton & Koontz First National Bank Board of Directors from 1976 to 2000. He also served as chairman of the St. Mary Basilica and Cathedral School Development Committee. He helped to organize the Tulane Pediatric Alumni Association and was its first president. A lover of music, Killelea helped establish the Natchez Opera Festival (now the Natchez Music Festival) in 1991. He served as its board chairman for several years. He was also on the Santa Claus Committee and Children’s Christmas Tree Executive Committee. He was Santa Claus in 1970. Dr. Killelea was King of Rex of the Krewe of Phoenix in 1991 and the Krewe of Killarney’s St. Patrick in 1996. He loved to spend time at his family’s lake house, Seven Reasons, on Lake St. John. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his wife, Katherine; five daughters, Kathy Sizemore and husband Robert of Natchez, Ginny Killelea of Natchez, Margee Wohner and husband Collins of Jackson, Donna Ann Bliss and husband, Lewis of Sacramento, Calif., Patty Killelea of Natchez; two sons, Donald and his wife Amy of Natchez, Edward and his wife Kathryn of Natchez; six grandchildren, Ginny Bliss, Katherine Bliss, Carlen Sizemore, Medley Wohner, Catherine Wohner, Sophia Killelea; one brother, Robert Killelea and wife Becky Killelea of Jackson.

Pallbearers will be William Gandy, Ashton James, Prentiss Ferguson, Fredrick Ferguson, John Carriere and John Mott Coffey.

Honorary pallbearers will be Richard Durkin, Andrew Peabody, Dr. William Godfrey, Thomas Armstrong and Joseph Carriere.

Memorials may be sent to Pleasant Acre Day School or Natchez Music Festival.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lairdfh.com