| Notes |
- Obituary:
Bob (Doc) Shields passed away Friday, March 16th, at the age of 88.
Bob is survived by his wife, Leah Shields of Fredericksburg; children: David Davis & wife Dulce of Santa Fe, TX, Staci Davis of Dallas, Dr. Robert F. Shields & wife Kathy of Plano, Thomas Shields & wife Linda of Sioux Falls, SD, Jim Shields & wife Kim of Spring Branch, TX; grandchildren: Sissiley Smith, Kimberly Shields, D.O., Kelly Didehbani, Ross Shields, Evan Shields, Kristen Shields, Justin Shields, Cody Shields; great grandson, Bennett Robert Barzda & sister, Juel Anderson of CA.
Bob was born February 27, 1924 to parents Grace Edith MacKenzie & Julius Louis Knoerschild. His father was killed in an auto accident when Bob was 2 years old so he went to live with his grandparents Friedrich & Anne Knoerschild until he was 10 years old. Bob eventually shortened his last name to Shields). He treasured them & shared many memories of his grandparents & growing up on Windsor Avenue in Dubuque.
Bob spent the Depression years on a NE Missouri farm * attended school in Kirksville, MO. He graduated from Los Angeles Polytechnic HS in 1942 as his family moved to CA after the start of WWII. He attended USC, joined the Naval Aviation V5 program, & after flight training schools received his wings & commission in December 1944 at Corpus Christi, TX. He chose sea planes & flew the OS2U-3 Kingfisher & finally the SC-1 Sea Hawk which was shot into flight from the USS St. Paul, CA-73, landed in the sea for recovery & hoisted back to the ship. The St. Paul was in training to invade Japan until the capitulation & was along side the USS Missouri at the signing of the peace treaty. He absolutely loved his navy days& flying & would regale any ready listeneer with tales of his adventures, many of which were with Gene Kelly, a ship mate in the aviation division.
Bob entered the University of Iowa in 1946, graduated in 1948, studied medicine at Kirksville Osteopathic Medical School where he was Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology from the summer of 1950 until he graduated in 1952. Bob established Port Acres Clinic September 1952 in Port Ares, TX (suburb of Port Arthur) where he treated young & old, delivered hundreds of babies, some even at the clinic. His patients loved him! He & a group of DOs built Doctors Hospital in Groves, TX in 1955. He served on the school board of Port Arthur ISD from 1954 to 1965 & is credited with getting Port Acres schools equal funding & consideration from PAISD. He was the team doctor & avid Stephen F Austin fan. Many times he flew coach (and friend) Bob Frederick to scout opponents. Bob's medical practice included his being named 1st Class Aviation Examiner by the FAA, a designation he held until he retired in 1998. He delighted in talking flying with the pilots who received their aviation med exams from him. Bob was also a member of the USS St. Paul Asc. & the US Navy Cruiser Asc.
Another adventure was the Brangus ranch that he established in Woodville, TX. in 1968, where he transformed a piney woods acreage into beautiful grass & hay fields. He spent many hours on his tractor with his faithful dogs following behind. He moved his office to Woodville in 1991 where he gained a loyal following until he "retired" in 1998; he held an active medical license for 60 years. The final move was to Fredericksburg, TX in 1999 where he set out to raise heifers & enjoy the beauty of the Texas Hill Country, residing along Spring Creek.
Bob absolutely loved his medical practice, flying, service in the Navy, cars & his animals. He had enough tales to fill a book. He was very compassionate & his patients loved him & would not see another physician; he probably wrote the book on bedside manner. His patients knew he was on rounds at the hospital as they could hear him whistling down the hall. He was board certified in Family Practice. & was a member of Fredericksburg UMC, AOA, TOMA, ACFP, AOPA (59 years), & NRA.
A memorial service , celebration of his life, will be held Saturday, March 31st, 2 PM, in the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, 1800 N. Llano, Fredericksburg, TX. 78624.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, Fredericksburg United Methodist Church music department, Ave Maria Hospice, or the charity of one's choice.
The family greatly appreciates Connie, Shirley, & all the nurses of Ave Maria Hospice along with Dr. DeLeon who helped Bob & Leah through his illness.
|
1924 - 2012 (88 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
