Dr. Kermit Roosevelt Ary

Dr. Kermit Roosevelt Ary, 72, of Albany, GA, passed away on December 21, 2025, at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital after a brave battle with cancer. Funeral services will be held 11:00 am, Saturday, December 27, 2025, at The Chapel of Sherwood Baptist Church. Mike Harrison, Johnny Johnson and Rev. John Spencer will officiate. Interment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday from 10:00 am until 11:00 am in the Atrium at Sherwood Baptist Church.

He was born on February 12, 1953, and raised in Moultrie, Georgia. Son of an elementary school principal as well as a preacher and teacher, he could not get away with much, but still pushed Kermit and Mildred to their limits. Growing up, he was actively involved in his church (after significant pressure from his parents to go each time the doors were open), attended countless Church of Christ retreats, and actively appreciated learning how to tie a knot (yet he could barely work a grill) at many 4H camps. He and his brother, Ashley, could commonly be found roaming the woods behind Reedy Creek Elementary School, tying water balloons in trees to drop on unsuspecting people, and participating in other mischievous acts.

After graduating Moultrie High School in 1971, Ted attended Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago. He sustained his livelihood by obtaining odd jobs around Chicago such as an orderly in a south side hospital, running an assembly line at a shampoo factory, as well as his favorite position, a bellman for the prestigious Drake Hotel, where he attempted to extract as much tip money as possible from celebrities such as Princess Grace of Monaco, Spiro Agnew, and Lucille Ball. After medical school, he practiced podiatry for over 47 years. He was devoted to his occupation, even working many Saturdays in health facilities and making house calls. He was never at a loss for words and even after retirement, he worked a few days a week in nursing homes spending time with patients around south Georgia. He loved spending weekends at the beach or the mountains and walked over seventy miles the week of his 70th birthday!

His greatest achievements in life have been his walk with Christ, his writing as an enthusiastic author to several books, his career as a caring podiatrist, and his role as a beloved “Poppy”, who cherished every milestone - big and small. He had a big heart for helping others, especially picking up hitchhikers on the side of the road (well before cell phones could activate an SOS feature). He picked up a man in a torrential snowstorm in Chicago unbeknownst to him, it was a robber. Only he could talk his own robber out of robbing him and eventually, the robber apologized. He leaves behind what he calls "heirlooms" on his grandparents' farm on Chapman Road. If you can find the house, you can lovingly admire the artifacts. He always had a story to tell and fondly shared anecdotes of how the real Oscar Meyer regaled him with how the hot dog became king from a meat shop on Clarke Street a hundred years ago. He never missed a teachable moment to tell others about the love of the Lord and pray over anyone who needed a helping hand. He looked forward to attending Sherwood Baptist Church on Sundays.

He leaves behind the love of his life, Cindy, his wife of over 42 years, and four daughters, Elizabeth Rankin (Jason), Catherine Rathe (Clark), Claire Oosterveen (Corey), and Sarah Grant (Michael). He has many loving grandchildren and remarked on their accomplishments all the days of his life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Sherwood Baptist Church or Joubert Syndrome & Related Disorders Foundation.