On Thursday night, friends, family and colleagues gathered at The Watermark Vicksburg to celebrate Dr. Martin Newcomb’s retirement.

Newcomb has served at the oncology clinic in Vicksburg, which is affiliated with Jackson Oncology Associates for nearly 30 years.

“Dr. Newcomb has always been 100 percent dedicated to his patients and their care,” office manager at the Jackson Oncology clinic in Vicksburg Emily Embry said. “He cares for them as if they were all his family members,” she said.

Dr. Newcomb began seeing patients in Vicksburg in 1991, Embry said.

“Because our Vicksburg clinic works on a smaller scale than our sister clinics we are afforded the pleasure of getting to work closely with Dr. Newcomb, and he has celebrated the good times with us, but has also supported and lifted us up in sorrowful times,” Embry said. “Just as he does with each of his patients.”

As a graduate of Millsaps College, Newcomb went on to further his education at the University Of Mississippi Medical Center, where he also did his internship, internal medical residency and fellowship in oncology.

From 1979 to 1997, he was the sole proprietor of The Oncology Clinic in Jackson and from 1998 until his retirement, Newcomb has been in private practice with Jackson Oncology Associates, PLLC.

Newcomb has served as a member of many profession organizations including the American College of Physicians and American Society of Clinical Oncology as well as authoring several publications.

During the Thursday evening event, in addition to celebrating Newcomb’s retirement, Dr. Elizabeth Herrington was introduced.

She will be joining Jackson Oncology Associates on Feb. 11 and will be serving at the Vicksburg clinic.

“I don’t want to say she is replacing Dr. Newcomb, because he is irreplaceable,” Embry said.