Obituary of Royce Hobby

HOBBY, Royce, 92, of St Petersburg passed away March 26, 2020 after a long and wonderful life. Royce was born March 2, 1928 in Ashburn, Georgia just minutes before his twin sister Joyce. He was born on a farm in rural South Georgia, in a one-room home without a doctor present. He was raised on a peanut farm and spent many hours working the farm with his dad and older brother Clyde.

From Royce’s earliest memories he knew he would grow up to be a doctor. In those early years and then throughout his life he loved learning and excelled in school. Before graduating a year early from high school in 1945, he was inducted into the National Beta Club in 1943 at age 15, an organization formed to recognize high character and academic excellence. In 1944 at age 16 he earned and was granted the high honor of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. These early achievements were the beginning of a long dedication of compassion to helping people, for which he devoted his life.

After graduating high school in 1945 he immediately matriculated at Bob Jones College. After a short time there, he transferred to Emory University where he graduated in 1948 with a General Science degree, Phi Beta Kappa. He then went on to earn the Medical Doctor Degree from Emory University College of Medicine, graduating with honors in 1952 at the young age of 24. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. After Emory, he was accepted for Internship and then Residential Surgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital where he met the love of his life, Jane Randolph Thomas, whom he married in 1954. From 1954 – 1956 he served in the US Air Force in Stephenville Newfoundland, Canada. Stationed at Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Newfoundland, he practiced general medicine and treated lots of fractures without having to refer those cases to the states for surgery. There, Jane and Royce had their first two children, Royce Randolph and Stephen Bryan.

After his service and upon Honorable Discharge, he returned to Ashburn and opened a private practice in general medicine, also making house calls and delivering many babies in the rural community, where their third child Philip Rolfe was born. In 1959 he was accepted as a Resident in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, where their fourth and last child, Maureen Lee was born.

He moved the family to St. Petersburg in 1963 where he opened an Orthopaedic Surgery practice and directed that until his retirement in 1998. In 1965 he became Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Amongst his specialties, he loved treating and operating on children afflicted with Scoliosis. He was also well known for his joint replacement surgery.

During his medical practice he served on the staff of all the local hospitals, was elected and served as Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at All Children’s Hospital, Bayfront Medical Center and St. Anthony’s Hospital. He loved to volunteer and give in any way he could. Royce served on many boards and organizations, including being the Team Doctor for the Lakewood High School football team for many years. 

Royce fully embraced the Hippocratic Oath, recognizing the importance of one of its phrases: “there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug.”

Being true to his calling, while on a vacation to China in 1987, a fellow traveler fell and broke her hip. He accompanied her to the hospital to ensure she received proper treatment. There, he discovered the techniques being used were at least 25 years behind that being done in America. He returned to China the following year to bring modern equipment and teach modern surgery techniques. He was only able to operate once, but the Chinese physicians he was helping later reported wonderful success, greatly reducing the time patients recovered and returned to walking again.

Royce loved life and was a long time member of St Petersburg Country Club (Lakewood CC) and the St Petersburg Yacht Club. He was a member of several congregations of the Episcopal Church including The Cathedral Church of St Peter. He and Jane were amongst the founders of Canterbury School of Florida. He served on the board, with one term as Chairman of the Board. In his spare time, when he was not playing tennis, golf, boating with his family, traveling or any activity involving family or friends, he was busy sewing up cuts or treating the many children in the neighborhood from his well stocked “home hospital” on Pinellas Point Drive. Later, he loved spending time with his grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Royce was the definition of a True Southern Gentleman. He was well known for his caring and kindness and was extremely generous. He never passed an opportunity to offer advice or to help anyone who needed it. With his infectious personality he was loved by everyone who knew him.

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Jane, his brother Clyde, twin sister Joyce Hobby Stevens, son Randy (and his wife Mona) and grandson Geoffrey Alexander Hobby (son of Randy and Mona). Besides being survived by his children Steve, Phil and Lee, Royce is survived by his daughters-in-law Patricia Carrier Hobby (Steve), Catherine Richardson Hobby (Phil) and son-in-law Albert W. Schroeder (Lee): sister Jo Ann Hobby Wallace of Buford, Ga.: grandchildren Matthew Hobby, Maureen Hobby, Bryan Hobby (Taryn), Heather Hobby Freed (Jay), Jane Hobby, Jeffrey Hobby, Katherine Schroeder Hall (Mason) and Bailee Royce Schroeder: great-grandchildren Sawyer Freed, Silas Freed, Ryland Hobby and Rhys Hobby, and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to give special thanks to the staff and residents of Cypress Palms and Sabal Palms who loved and cared for Royce the past two years.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital or The Cathedral Church of St Peter. At this time, since COVID-19 has closed all gatherings, the funeral service and celebration of life is postponed and will be announced as soon as possible.