Dr. Nelson Edward Shankle

Nelson Edward Shankle, 84, of Nashville Tennessee left us peacefully on March 27, 2025. 

Born on October 7, 1940, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Nelson was the son of C.B. Shankle and Nell Lett Shankle and raised by his stepmother, Mary Francis Lemon. He grew up with two brothers, George and Bob Shankle. Nelson graduated salutatorian from Humboldt High school where his father was principal, and then went on to attend the University of Tennessee at Martin. Having serenaded his future wife as part of a quartet in college, he married Ann Caldwell. 

He attended medical school at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, graduating in 1964, after which he served his country for seven years in the Air Force. He completed his anesthesia residency at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and then transferred to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. While there, he was selected to be a flight surgeon for the Apollo space program, in which he participated in several launches at Cape Canaveral, and served on the USS Iwo Jima for the Apollo 13 recovery mission. 

Nelson and Ann had two sons, John (Louanne) and Steven (Mary Jo). Affectionally known as Pops by his family, Nelson was beloved by his grandchildren Sarah, Madison, Ryan (Elizabeth), and Ben and by his great grandchildren, Evelyn, Lillie, and Madeline. 

Nelson and his wife came to Nashville in 1971 where he joined Anesthesia Associates, and then was a founding member of Middle Tennessee Anesthesiology. He served as president of Middle Tennessee Anesthesiology for 14 years. He spent 35 years in private practice, most of which at Baptist Hospital which is now Ascension St. Thomas Midtown. 

He served in numerous positions in the Tennessee Society of Anesthesiologist including president and in the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He was a fellow of the American College of Anesthesiologists and was a diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiologists. 

A service to celebrate Nelson’s life will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Calvary United Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 11:00am to 1:00pm followed by the service. Interment will follow at 3:00pm at Harpeth Hills Memory Garden at Highway 100. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, or Calvary United Methodist Church.