Dr. C. William Briscoe

Dr. C. William Briscoe, 85, of Corbin, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington, KY.

Born to the late Dr. John Randolph Briscoe, Sr. and Elsie Oesterle Briscoe, C. William (aka "Bill") grew up in a home where medicine and service were woven into daily life. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri before receiving his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Missouri Columbia School of Medicine in 1966. After completing his internship at the Medical College of Virginia and serving two years with the U.S. Public Health Service, Indian Health Division, he completed his psychiatric residency at Washington University in St. Louis, where he was honored to serve as Chief Resident.

In 1973, Bill and his beloved wife Marsha came home to her roots in Southeastern Kentucky, where he answered a calling that would shape the next half century of his life. At a time when communities across the country were losing access to mental health care, he set out to build something better here in Corbin. What began as a small inpatient psychiatric unit at the old SEKB Hospital grew, under his steady hand, into the Trillium Center and Briscoe Clinic at Baptist Health Corbin.

For more than fifty years, Dr. Briscoe cared for his patients with the kind of quiet devotion that doesn't make headlines but changes lives. He served as President of the Kentucky Psychiatric Association, spent 24 years on the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, including a term as Vice President, and gave 45 years to the Medical Executive Committee at Baptist Health Corbin. In November 2024, his colleagues named him Physician of the Year.

But ask anyone who knew him, and they'll tell you Bill’s truest legacy was his family. He and Marsha shared 61 years of marriage, a partnership built on faith, intellect, and laughter, before her passing in 2022. Together they raised three sons, all of whom followed their father into medicine, a quieter testament to his example than any award could offer.

Dr. Briscoe was a man of deep faith who lived out his beliefs through service to his church and his community. When he wasn't caring for patients, he could most likely be found outdoors, hiking a trail, walking a golf course, on the tennis court, or carving down a ski slope. He loved being in motion, and he loved being in nature.

Dr. Briscoe was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marsha G. Briscoe; his parents, Dr. John Randolph Briscoe, Sr., and Elsie Oesterle Briscoe; and his brother, John Randolph Briscoe, Jr.

He is survived by his three sons and their wives: W. Gregory Briscoe, MD and wife Susan; S. Trevor Briscoe, MD and wife Cecil Del Mundo, MD; and Brian T. Briscoe, MD and wife Kristi, MD; his sister, Barbara Sterkel Reeb, MD; seven grandchildren who were the light of his life, Andrew, Christina, Daniel, Nathan, Alex, Ethan, and Hudson; two great grandchildren, Kopash and Fernando; and numerous nieces, nephews, and dear friends whose lives he touched.

A memorial service will be held in the coming weeks. Arrangements will be announced when finalized.

Arrangements are entrusted to Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home, where messages of condolence may be shared with the family at vankirkgrisellfuneralhome.com.