Dr. Thomas Lynn Hicks, MD

Thomas Lynn Hicks, M.D., age 67, passed away on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at his home. From his birth in Roanoke, Virginia on October 31, 1951 until his death, Tom nourished the people around him with love and faith. Tom was the oldest of the four children born to James C. and Lorene (Nichols) Hicks. After graduating from Northeast High School in St. Petersburg in 1970, Tom attended the University of Florida and graduated in 1974. Tom received his Doctor of Medicine in 1978 from the College of Medicine of the University of South Florida. In 1981, Tom completed his residency program at the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and began practicing medicine in Havana, Florida. He was a founding partner of Patients First in 1988. In 1992, Tom moved his practice from Havana to North Monroe Street in Tallahassee. For years, he served as both a practicing physician and the medical administrator for Patients First. Tom was politically active during his entire career, championing regulatory issues as they pertained to physicians. At their annual meeting in 2005, the FMA honored him with the “President’s Recognition Award” for his physician advocacy efforts. He also reviewed cases for the Board of Medicine with the Florida Department of Health for many years. He regularly served as “Doctor of the Day” during the Legislative Session in Tallahassee. Tom created lifelong relationships with fellow physicians, patients, and co-workers. On his 40th birthday, his staff surprised him with a billboard at the entrance to Havana, reading, “Lordy,Lordy, Dr. Tom is 40!”. A patient once thanked Tom for treating her family, stating that he had cared for four generations of her family members. Tom was a member of and delegate to the American Medical Association. He was also a member of the Florida Medical Association; the Florida Academy of Family Physicians (President 1994-1995; Chairman of the Board 1995-1996) and the Capital Medical Society (President 2002). Tom received numerous awards during his career, including the inaugural Outstanding Physician Award in 2006 from the Capital Medical Society. In 2009, he was honored with the prestigious Florida Family Physician of the Year Award from the Florida Academy of Family Physicians. One of the first to care for people living with HIV disease at a time when providers were not often readily available, Tom’s compassion and support was unparalleled. Tom was actively involved with Big Bend Cares from its inception in the late 1980s and early 1990s, serving on the Board of Directors for ten years (Vice President in 2001). Tom is survived by his partner, Robert Stuart; his mother, Lorene Hicks; his sisters, Kaye Dettman, Kimberly Kuper, and Deidre Hicks; his brothers-in-law, David Dettman and David Popoff; and many cousins and dear friends. Tom loved art, wine, food, laughter, reading, and travel. To quote Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: “His life was gentle; and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to the world, ‘This was a man!’” The family is deeply grateful for the kindness, devotion, and care given to Tom by Dr. Michael Forsthoefel and his staff, Dr. Charles Maitland, Sharia “Shay” McKay, Carolyn Allen, Winnie Miles and Diane L. Stuart. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Tom’s memory be made to Big Bend Hospice or Big Bend Cares. A memorial service will be held at 2:00PM on Saturday, October 12, 2019, at Bevis Funeral Home, 200 John Knox Road. Inurnment will follow at the columbarium at Faith Presbyterian Church, 2200 N. Meridian Road. Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting Mr. Stuart with the arrangements.

Tributes

Dr. Thomas Lynn Hicks, MD

October 31, 1951 - October 1, 2019