Doctor found dead in pool

A beloved Bogalusa doctor who had a stroke a few years ago and suffered some lingering handicap, was found dead in his pool Saturday.

Bogalusa Police Capt. Joe Culpepper said Dr. Mitchell Collins Massey Sr., 68, was fully clothed and that his death appears to have been an accident. The doctor’s cane was found at the bottom of the pool, he said.

“At this point, everything points to it being an accident of some kind, that he either suffered another medical problem and fell, or slipped and fell into the pool,” said Culpepper. “His wife came home and found him.”

Massey, a former chief of staff at LSU Bogalusa Medical Center, was the only full-time radiologist in Bogalusa, said LSU BMC CEO Kurt Scott, who was left to both find a replacement and mourn a friend.

Massey had been with the hospital for more than 30 years, he said.

“He was a wonderful man,” said Scott. “He was loved and respected by all, very patient-oriented, very dedicated to patients and the hospital, very personable, a very caring individual. He will be very, very sorely missed by patients and staff. He was such a nice man.

“It was a pleasure working with him. He was a pleasure to know.”