SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - Dr. Jay Walter Childress, 78, of Savannah, Georgia, husband of Beth A. Childress, passed away peacefully Friday morning, July 8, 2011, at Hospice Savannah surrounded by his family and dearest friends.

Dr. Childress was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 31, 1933 to Nellie Stevenson Childress and Walter Jefferson Childress. He grew up in Virginia and attended public schools graduating from Norview High School. After service in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War as a small weapons specialist, he graduated from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, where he played football for the Yellow Jackets and sang with the Randolph-Macon Glee Club and the 4 Jackets Quartet. Dr. Childress received his Masters in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed Clinical Internships at The Child and Family Counseling Center in Norfolk and The Lower Peninsular Child Guidance Center in Williamsburg, Virginia.  He received a Diploma of Advanced Study at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts and did a Clinical Residency at Massachusetts Mental Health Center and Hospital in Boston, subsequently completing his doctorate in Clinical Social Work.

Dr. Childress was Chief of Psychological Services at the Charles Hayden Inn School for Boys in Boston before accepting the position of Executive Director of the Family Counseling Center of Savannah Inc. where he developed the Family Counseling Center for the Savannah Model Cities Program (HUD). He also served as Administrator for the Center for Drug-Related Problems (a street-level treatment center for drug and alcohol abusers).   In 1976, he became part of the group practice of Psychiatric Consultants, PC, until he opened his own practice in 1986, which he maintained until retirement in 2009, specializing in marriage and family therapy and individual therapy for adolescents and adults.

Dr. Childress was a charter member of the National Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, a Board Certified Diplomat of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work, a Board Certified Therapist of the American Association of Behavioral Therapists,  a Clinical Member and approved Supervisor and Approved Site Visitor for Accreditation of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers and National Association of Social Workers,  American Association of Christian Counselors, Life Clinical Member of the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists, Diplomat  and Clinical Supervisor of the American Board of Sexology and Clinical Member of The Society for Scientific Study of Sex. In addition, Dr. Childress received Certificates of Advanced Training with the Masters and Johnson Institute of Reproductive Biology Research Foundation.  He was the Past President of the Southeast Unit of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Georgia Chapter, Past Chair of the Savannah Sub-region of the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (GAMFT), a Diplomat in Clinical Social Work (NASW), and a Clinical Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. He was a former Licensure Board Member for the State of Georgia.  He served as Past President of Savannah Rotary Club West, Chair of the Council of Ministries and Board of Trustees of White Bluff United Methodist Church where he sang as both a soloist and with the Chancel Choir.  In addition to his parents, Dr. Childress was preceded in death by his son, Walter Jefferson Childress, II, and three older sisters, Katherine, Nancy and Geri.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Beth A. Childress of Savannah; his son, John Childress (Angela) of Savannah; his daughter, Janelle Childress (Claes) of Stockholm, Sweden; his stepdaughters, Meredith Malcom (Mike) of Monroe, Georgia and Kimberly Collins (Jim) of Savannah; nine grandchildren, Millie, Annie, Ellie, Jack and Wils Childress; Eliza and Camille Malcom; Mary Margaret and John Collins, two nieces, Dianne Ferraro and Donna Windsor, and his beloved Amos, Gabriel, Ezekiel and Thomas.

The family will receive friends from 10 until 11 o'clock Monday morning at Gamble Funeral Service - 410 Stephenson Avenue.

The funeral service will be held at 11 o’clock Monday morning in the chapel of Gamble Funeral Service conducted by The Reverend Nathan C. Godley and The Reverend John A. Haney. Private interment will be in Bonaventure Cemetery.

Remembrances: Hospice Savannah - Post Office Box #13190, Savannah, Georgia 31416-0190 or the charity of the donor’s choice.

The family wishes to express deepest gratitude to Dr. Paul S. Bradley and Dr. M. Douglas Mullins for their devotion, compassion and skill during this difficult time.