John Alexander McCreery

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Dr. John Alexander McCreery was an American surgeon who was listed among the top ten surgeons in the United States.

Born in 1884 in New York City, Dr. McCreery, known as "Alec", was the eldest of three children born to Dr. and Mrs. John Alexander McCreery. His mother, Louise Carrigan, was a New York City socialite whose family had immigrated from England. His father was a surgeon whose family had immigrated from Ireland. Dr. McCreery had two younger sisters, Christine McCreery Hoguet and Mary McKay McCreery.

A 1906 graduate of Harvard University, Dr. McCreery became a surgeon early on in his career.

On November 26, 1918, Dr. McCreery married Eileen Birkett Ravenshaw, an equestrienne from Essex, England. She was the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Withers Ravenshaw and Hannah Barker Ravenshaw. Her grandfather, Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, was the founder of Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, Bengal, India. She was also a descendant of Sir William Withers, one time Lord Mayor of London. She was a member of The Ravenshaw Family, a noble and ancient family from England.

In 1919, Dr. and Mrs. McCreery had twin daughters, Joan Anne (1919-2005) and Lalande Louise (1919-1983). In 1921, another daughter was born, named Sheila Mary (1921-1997). They moved to the affulent suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut, and built an estate called "Quiet Waters". They also had an English shingle estate on Nantucket, Massachusetts. In Greenwich, Dr. McCreery became Chief of Medical Staff at Greenwich Hospital in 1938. That same year, his daughters Joan and Lalande were presented to society at the Baltimore Cotillion. In 1944, his eldest daughter married Dr. John Wynne Gerster, of New York, New York. Gerster was the son of Dr. and Mrs. John C.A. Gerster. Mrs. Gerster (nee Alice Fox) was a descendant of Roger Williams.

His second daughter, Lalande, married John William Keeshan, of Greenwich, Connecticut. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Gwynne Keeshan. Lalande became an accomplished equestrienne who was Master of the Hounds in the sport of Fox Hunting.

His youngest daughter, Sheila, married architect Richard Newton Jackson, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Newton Jackson, Sr. They settled in Maryland. She, too, was an equestrienne, and was Master of the Hounds in Fox Hunting for eleven years.

In 1948, Dr. John Alexander McCreery died from pneumonia. Mrs. Eileen Ravenshaw McCreery died in 1963.

The extended McCreery family still resides in Greenwich, Connecticut, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, New York City, and Maryland.