Henry Page Royster, M.D., passed away peacefully at Westminster Canterbury in Richmond March 1, 2016. Born in Aberdeen, North Carolina to Elizabeth Page Royster and Beverly Sampson Royster Jr., on August 19, 1923, he grew up in Oxford, North Carolina, the third of four boys.
Dr. Royster was predeceased by his parents; and his brothers, Beverly Sampson Royster III, Lee Page Royster and Stephen Sampson Royster.
Dr. Royster graduated from Davidson College in 1944, then pursued his medical training at the Medical College of Virginia. He completed his residency in General Surgery at MCV.
During his residency, he met his wife of 66 years, Kathleen Winston Ryland (Tina); they were married in 1949. Following residency, he went into practice with his mentor, Dr. Isaac A. Bigger, and his close friend, Dr. Jacquelin Harrison.
He then served in the United States Navy for two years, where he was stationed at a Marine base in Cherry Point, North Carolina, before returning to MCV as a professor of General Surgery.
In 1968, he left MCV to pursue a private practice in surgery, where he had a long and rewarding career with Surgical Associates of Richmond.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his four children and their spouses: Kathleen Royster Nelson (Jim), Allison Page Royster Redpath (Randy), Martha Royster Young (Chris), and Henry Page Royster Jr. (Heather); as well as 10 grandchildren: Katie Nelson Maddux (David), Emily Nelson Lamb (Josh), Jay Nelson (Caitlin), Margaret Ryland Redpath, Elizabeth Redpath (Jennifer), Christopher Young (Ashley), Cap Young, Virginia Young, Bear Higgins and Henry Page Royster III.
He is also survived by five great- grandchildren: Libby Maddux, Nelson Maddux, Bennett Maddux, Gabe Lamb and Oliver Lamb; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Dr. Royster was a member of the American College of Surgeons, the Eastern Surgical Society and the Medical Society of Virginia. While practicing medicine with Surgical Associates, he also helped to establish a residency program for family practice residents at MCV, and mentored and taught many young physicians.
Dr. Royster was a longtime member of Stratford Hills United Methodist Church.
His interests included golf, and he especially enjoyed playing at the Country Club of Virginia and the Princess Anne Country Club, and being a member of the Bogies and the Captains golf groups. He also enjoyed bird hunting, boating on the James River, entertaining his children’s friends, and making navy bean soup to share with his friends and neighbors.
A memorial service celebrating Dr. Royster’s life will be held in the Sara Belle November Theatre at Westminster Canterbury of Richmond, 1600 Westbrook Ave., at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 5, with a reception to follow.
Dr. Royster’s family would especially like to thank the staff of the Mary Morton Parsons Health Care Center at Westminster Canterbury for their kindness and compassion during his time there.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fellowship Fund at Westminster Canterbury of Richmond.
Posted in Obituaries & In Memoriam on Thursday, March 3, 2016 12:01 am. Richmond Times-Dispatch