Dr. Will Crouch will be able to spend more time with his family as he retires. Above l-r are Dr. David Crouch, Pat Crouch, Dr. Will Crouch and Stephen Crouch. | Special to the Enquirer

Randy Garrison

Hartselle Enquirer

Dr. Will Crouch will bring to a close a 45-year medical practice he began in the fall of 1970. Dr. Crouch will officially close his practice Dec. 17, 2015. Crouch began notifying his patients this month about his upcoming retirement.

Crouch is 69 years of age and plans to remain in Hartselle after retirement; actually remain on his 25-acre farm in Massey with his three walking horses. He and his wife Pat plan to spend more time with their family. He has three sons, Dr. David Crouch, a veterinarian in Hartselle, Stephen Crouch who works with the Danville High School Library and John Crouch a police detective in Decatur. The have six grandchildren and one great -grandchild. Since the grandchildren are active in sports much of their time will be spent attending those activities.

Crouch who was born and raised in Batesville, Miss., says all he ever wanted to be was a doctor. He graduated high school in 1963 and graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical School in 1969. He thinks he could be the youngest doctor to have graduated from the school.

After graduating from medical school, Crouch did not want to return home but wanted to stay in the south. He found out that Hartselle Medical Center (then Hartselle Hospital) was looking for doctors. He moved here in 1970 and began a family practice. He remembers office visits being $7.00 at that time.

During this time the hospital still delivered babies and he did a lot of ob-gyn his first year. Doctors Thomas Guyton and Dr. Walter Duncan sent him lots of ob-gyn patients.

His son David was also going to follow his father into the medical field and study pre-med at The University of Alabama, but changed his mind and decided he wanted to be a veterinarian. He was admitted into Auburn University within two weeks of applying.

Crouch has mixed emotions about retiring. He mentioned the good patients he has in his practice and he will miss them. He also has enjoyed a wonderful staff that has been faithful and loyal.

“Hartselle has been good to me and my family, I have never wanted to live anywhere else since coming here,” Crouch said.

After Dec. 18, Decatur Morgan Hospital will be custodian of his patients’ medical records. Copies of patients’ medical records will be available through Decatur Morgan Hospital’s Family Practice. Dr. Lindsey Smith and nurse practitioner Juliana Clark, CRNP will have all charts available to them.

In a letter sent to his patients, Crouch thanked them for their trust and support and said he hoped and prayed their future health will be good.