Doctor 'loved the community'

Benjamin Shellabarger killed in car wreck Sunday

Jackson family physician Benjamin Rushing Shellabarger enjoyed helping others.

His older brother, John Shellabarger Jr., said Benjamin, who many called Rush, always made it known to his family that if anything ever happened to him, he wanted to donate his organs and tissues to people in need. John said his family has done their best to make arrangements for Benjamin to be an organ donor since he died in a car accident on Sunday morning in Jackson. He was 36.

"It was Rush's desire to donate all usable tissues and organs to help anybody he could," John said. "Even in death, Rush will be giving back to the community. He loved the community."

Shellabarger, a Jackson native, has worked as a family physician at The Jackson Clinic north office since 2008.

"He was very happy to serve the people of West Tennessee every day," John said. "He will be greatly missed."

Visitation for Benjamin is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Arrington Funeral Home in Jackson. His funeral will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at Poplar Heights Baptist Church, where he was a member.

Around 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Benjamin lost control of his 2000 Toyota Avalon and drove into the median while traveling west on U.S. 412 about four miles north of Jackson, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. He wasn't wearing his seat belt.

His car overturned into an eastbound lane, where it hit a Chevrolet Tahoe before veering off the road.

The driver of the Tahoe, Darla Michelle Cook, 35, was injured. Passengers Dennis M. Cook, 50; Cheslic Diane Tharpe, 23; Kady Cook, 11; and Kaden Cook, 3 - who was in a car seat - were not injured and had on their seat belts.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, THP said.

John said he learned about his brother's accident from friends they grew up with who now work with the Madison County Sheriff's Department and Jackson Fire Department.

"They contacted me on my cell phone personally and told me because of the circumstances that I needed to be in Jackson quickly," John said.

He left his home in Franklin and headed to Jackson on Sunday morning.linic; and W. Keith Williams, obstetrics and gynecology, The Jackson Clinic.

John said it was tough breaking the news of his brother's death to his parents, who live in Jackson.

"We're doing pretty good now, but we were not ready for him to leave," John said. "I talked to him every day."

Benjamin was a special person, John said.

"He spoke Spanish and traveled to Brazil and Haiti for medical mission trips," he said. "He wanted to be a doctor for as long as any of us can remember."

Benjamin received a bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Mississippi and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Union University. He completed his residency at the University of Tennessee Department of Surgery in Memphis and the University of Tennessee Family Medicine Center in Jackson.

Gregg Mitchell, program director of the UT Family Medicine Center in Jackson, said he helped mentor and train Benjamin along with other faculty members.

"He worked at our clinic prior to starting medical school," Mitchell said. "He was here for about two years as a pre-med student, and then he came after medical school to do three years of medical training."

Benjamin completed his residency in 2008. Mitchell said they remained friends afterward.

"He was very well liked by all his patients and the staff he interacted with," he said.