Dr. Peter Carney, 88, of Elkhart, passed away Wednesday, June 5, at Greenleaf Senior Living.

Peter was born March 14, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio, to the late Richard and Dorothy (Mallison) Carney. He spent his childhood and youth in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where backyard baseball games with his older brother, Dick, and friends were enjoyed. Later, playing high school and college football left good memories.

On April 11, 1970, Peter married Gloria Smith Carney in the beautiful Mediterranean city of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.  They shared an interest in the arts, travel, and exotic places. For six years, they lived in Saudi Arabia before eventually settling in Elkhart.  Peter and Gloria shared a love for animals and had many beloved dogs and cats over their 54 years of marriage.

Peter is survived by his wife, Gloria; his older brother, Richard Carney Jr., and sister-in-law, Dorothy (Chapman) Carney of Naperville, IL; along with their children: Bradford Carney, Hilary and Steven Jambor, and Mallison Miser.  On his wife's side of the family, he is survived by a niece, Beth Connors.

In addition to his family, Dr. Carney will be missed by his dedicated staff from his medical practice: Patty, Wendy, and Emily. The many patients he served over the years will remember his compassionate care.  Dr. Carney, in his own words, lived by the motto, "Each patient I am about to treat is my most important patient."  He served the distinguished and the poor with equal care.

Peter's greatest desire from childhood was to be a medical doctor.  His calling was to relieve pain and bring healing to others even to the end of his days.  He attended Williams College where he was a member of Psi Upsilon Fraternity. Dr. Carney then completed his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1962. He completed his training as a Neurosurgeon at Yale-New Haven Hospital and Hartford Hospital in 1968.

Peter's years of training to be a neurosurgeon in Boston and additional time living on Cape Cod made him an unwavering Red Sox and Celtics fan.

Among Dr. Carney's many accomplishments, he served as Neurosurgeon at Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, Massachusetts, from 1971-1977, and Chief Neurosurgeon at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1978 -1983.  He was a Mellon Fellow at MIT from 1983 to 1985. He served as Neurosurgeon at Elkhart General Hospital from 1985 – 2005, was Director of the Pain Management Clinic for the Northern Indiana V.A. Health Care system for two years, was an active staff member of the Community Hospital of Bremen and maintained a private practice in pain management in Elkhart for eighteen years.

Peter was a beloved member of Southside Fellowship Mennonite Church, joining the congregation in 1992; he maintained close ties with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Elkhart through his wife, Gloria's, membership there. Peter nurtured friendships with the local Buddhist community, and was fond of philosophy, poetry, and fine Scotch whiskey.  For many years, on one of the darkest days of winter, Peter enjoyed hosting a public reading of W.H. Auden's For The Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio. Peter relished reciting favorite passages by heart.  In that poem, one of the three wise men says, "The choice to love is open till we die," so it was with Dr. Peter Carney.  For that reason, above all, he will be missed.

A memorial service will be held at Southside Fellowship on Saturday, July 13 beginning at 1:00 P.M. and officiated by Rev. David Moser. There will be a time for visitation from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. and 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. on Friday, July 12 at Southside Fellowship, and again from 12:00 to 1:00 just prior to the service on July 13. Billings Funeral Home of Elkhart is assisting with arrangements.

Southside Fellowship meets in The Chapel of the Sermon on the Mount on the campus of the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 3003 Benham Ave, Elkhart, IN 46517.

Memorial gifts in honor of Dr. Peter Carney may be made out to Southside Fellowship and will be distributed to several organizations that promote healing, justice and peace.

The family would like to thank Goshen Hospital and Oncology for the care they provided Peter.

Southside Fellowship at AMBS
3003 Benham Ave, Elkhart IN 46517
Web: https://southsidefellowship.net/