Dr. Madison Stockton Spach

Dr. Madison Stockton Spach, a devoted and loving spouse, father, and pediatrician, who touched the lives of many, died peacefully at the age of 98 on September 25, 2025, in Durham North Carolina.

Madison was born on November 10,1926 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to the parents Jule Christian Spach and Margaret Stockton Spach. He spent his childhood in Winston-Salem where he attended Reynolds High School. Madison joined the United States Navy at the age of 17 and he served in the South Pacific region during World War II. After returning from the Navy, Madison attended Duke University where he ran track and cross country. In his senior year, he was the Atlantic Coast Conference 2-mile champion, making a dramatic comeback in the conference championship 2-mile race. While he was in college, he chose to pursue a career in medicine, and he received his medical degree at Duke University Medical School.

In 1949, he married Cecilia Goodson and they had four children: Madison Jr., Joyce, Susan, and David. Cecilia and Madison were both adored and beloved by their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They both showed great interest, support, involvement, and love for all their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Cecilia and Madison both found a way to develop a special relationship with everyone in the extended family. Cecilia and Madison had many memorable travels abroad and stays at the North Carolina coast. They remained happily married until Cecilia passed away in 2018.

Madison had a highly impactful medial career at Duke University. After graduating from medical school, he completed a residency in Pediatrics at Duke, followed by specialty training fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology in 1957-1959. He was appointed to the Duke University School of Medicine Faculty in 1960, and he remained at Duke, as a Pediatric Cardiologist, for his entire career. He was the founder and chief of Duke’s Division of Pediatric Cardiology and he developed and ran the Duke Pediatric Cardiology fellowship training program. In 1960, he performed one of the first pediatric heart catheterizations in the world. He was known as a dedicated, kind, and compassionate clinician who impacted the lives of many children and families. After several decades working in the clinical arena, he shifted his primary focus to research, spending the latter half of his career on efforts to better understand the fundamental mechanisms behind cardiac dysrhythmias. He was a renowned researcher who made numerous major impactful contributions to the field of cardiac electrophysiology. Throughout his career, he mentored numerous graduate

Students and pediatric cardiology fellows, many of whom went on to become leaders and innovators in the field. Madison was a dedicated and deeply involved mentor, maintaining close relationships for decades with many of his trainees. In 1977, he received the extremely prestigious honor as a James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics.

Madison was a fabulous athlete who remained extremely fit throughout his life. He was fixture at high noon every day at the Duke University football stadium track, running 5-7 miles a day up into his early 70’s. In his 70’s, he began playing golf and this became a source of joy for him in his later life. His very late years were spent as a resident at the Forest at Duke where he enthusiastically engaged in regular physical therapy and occupational therapy.

He will always be remembered as a man with great character, integrity, and honesty who genuinely treated everyone with kindness and respect.

He was preceded in death by his wife Cecilia, his daughter Joyce Clark, his brother Jule Spach, and his grandsons Robert David Spach and Andrew Peterson. He is survived by his son Madison Spach (spouse Mary Spach) and their child Margaret Greene (spouse James Greene); deceased daughter Joyce Clark’s children Laura Sherwin (spouse Steve Sherwin) and Jessica Clark (spouse Temere Rountree); daughter Susan French (spouse Paul French) and their children Caroline Christiansen (spouse Kody Christiansen) and Sarah French; son David Spach (spouse Tricia Spach) and their children Natalie Spach (spouse Andrew Rivera), and Gabriel Spach; and 7 great-grandchildren Elsie Greene, David Greene, Donald Sherwin, Henry Sherwin, Madison Sherwin, Kemmer Christiansen, and Jake Christiansen.

A memorial service for Madison will be held at 12:30pm at the main auditorium at The Forest at Duke on January 17, 2025.

The family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, Inc.