Dr. Michael E. Beatty, a longtime plastic and reconstructive surgeon, known not only for his surgical skill but also for his warmth, his steady faith, and his deep loyalty to family and friends, died Friday, May 8, after a long illness. He was 85.

Dr. Mike was born December 16, 1940, in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Bert William Beatty Sr. and Donna Louise Beatty (Studebaker). Mike grew up in West Frankfort, Illinois, alongside his brothers, Bill and John. He graduated from West Frankfort High School in 1958, where he excelled academically and played second base for the Redbirds. As his high school paper reported, Mike’s motto was “the best way to have friends is to be one,” a trait that made him “one of the best liked students in Frankfort High School.” Mike went on to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and proudly received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago.

For all his academic accomplishments, Mike’s greatest success of his early life came during his senior year at SIU when he spotted Mary Ann Werner, a lovely and dynamic freshman from Centralia, Illinois, who he immediately decided he would marry. As he told the story for the rest of his life, he never made a better decision than to ask her out on a first date. She was the guiding force and love of his life. They were married on March 29, 1963, the start of an amazing 63-year partnership that anchored everything that followed.

After completing his internship at St. Louis County Hospital, Dr. Mike served as a Captain in the United States Army Medical Corps, deployed to Korea during the Vietnam War. Beyond his clinical duties, he gave generously of his time at a local orphanage. His military service was recognized with a congressional citation, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Korean Defense Medal.

Returning home, Dr. Mike completed five years of specialty training in general surgery, followed by two more in plastic and hand surgery at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He went on to serve the Metro East community for 45 years, first as a general surgeon and later as a plastic, reconstructive and hand surgeon. He was influential in helping to bring Anderson Hospital to Maryville, where he later served as its Chief of Staff. Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, he also held a faculty appointment as Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at SIU School of Medicine. To his patients, he was a healer; to his colleagues, a steadying presence, a community leader and a generous teacher.

A man of deep Christian faith, Dr. Mike, along with his wife, Ann, helped found ESIC Baptist Church in 1972, where he served as a deacon until the end of his life. In recent years, he and Ann worshipped at Praise Community Fellowship, where he loved singing in the choir.

People who knew him well describe his compassion, his humor, and his undying loyalty. He was fiercely committed to serving others — as a physician, as a lifelong member of his church community, and above all as a husband, father, and grandfather.

Mike loved fly fishing and being outdoors in nature. He was also an avid enthusiast of American military and medical history. A lifelong music-lover, he enjoyed all genres – from classical to gospel to rock and roll. One of his career highlights was serving as the attending physician at the iconic Mississippi River Festival. An animal lover, Dr. Mike cared for - actually, doted on – more dogs and cats than can be named, as well as all the other creatures his children collected, which included rabbits, snakes, gerbils, and even a few ferrets.

Above all, he loved Ann. And he loved his children and grandchildren.

Dr. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Donna Beatty; his brother, Bill Beatty; and his son, Matthew. He is survived by his beloved wife Dr. Ann Beatty; his daughter, Cynthia, and her husband, Gordon Seymour; his son, Michael, and his husband, Tim LeGallo; his grandchildren, Sam and Annie Seymour; his brother, John Beatty; and the many extended family members, friends, and patients whose lives he touched.

Visitation will be Thursday, 4:00-8:00 pm, at Sunset Hill Funeral Home in Edwardsville. Funeral services will be Friday, 10:30 am, at ESIC Church in Edwardsville. A graveside service and burial will follow at Sunset Hill Cemetery. All are invited back to ESIC Church for a luncheon following the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the ESIC Worship Center (which includes Esic Baptist, Praise Community Fellowship, and Grace Spirit and Truth); the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Washington University; and the Metro East Humane Society in Edwardsville.

The family is being served by Sunset Hill Funeral Home, 50 Fountain Drive, Glen Carbon, IL, 62034.