Herbert Seybold

1919 - 2015

Herbert McCelvey Seybold, M.D.
1919-2015
Herbert McCelvey Seybold, M.D. (Herb) died peacefully in Spring, Texas on February 16, 2015 at the age of 96. He was born to Lillian Cochrane and Claude Dempsey Seybold in Temple, Texas on February 6, 1919. He attended public schools in Temple and then entered the University of Texas in 1935 where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta. The unexpected death of his father and the start of World War II interrupted his college education. Herb joined the Navy eight days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, serving on minesweepers in the Mediterranean and Pacific until 1945. While attending Midshipman School at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois Lt. (JG) Seybold met his beloved wife, Virginia. They married in December 1944 and a few weeks later he returned for duty aboard a minesweeper.
Following the War, Herb returned to the University of Texas to complete his college education and in 1947 he entered The University of Texas Medical School in Galveston, Texas (UTMB) graduating in 1951 first in his class. Upon completion of medical school, he entered the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Hospital in New Orleans followed by a year of duty in the USPHS in Savannah, Georgia where he served as ship's doctor for three months on weather patrol in the North Atlantic.
From 1953-1955 he was a fellow in Urology at the Mayo Clinic and in 1956 he completed his training in Urology in Galveston at the University of Texas Medical School as Chief Resident. He and Virginia moved to Houston that same year and he entered private practice where he was on staff at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital. He was volunteer faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and was attending staff at Jefferson Davis Hospital and Ben Taub Hospital as a Clinical Professor. Herb loved practicing with the Houston Urologic Associates and his partners, Dr. Eugene Carlton, Dr. David Cawood, and Dr. David Wright. He was a people person and loved interacting with his patients. He never met a stranger and always found something in common with everyone. He truly had a servant's heart.
In 1979 Herb retired from private practice to accept a position in the Department of Urology at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston, Texas where he served until 1991. He continued to teach as a volunteer after retirement. He was awarded several teaching awards both at Baylor College of Medicine and at UTMB for excellence in teaching. While at UTMB he twice received the Golden Apple Award from the medical students. During his years of teaching he authored many papers for medical journals and addressed numerous medical groups. He was a member of AOA, Mu Delta Service Society, American Medical Association, American College of Surgery, Southwestern Section of the American Urologic Association, American Urologic Association, Singleton Surgical Society, The Texas Association of Genito-Urinary Surgeons and the Southwest Chapter of the American College of Surgery. He was a Diplomate of the American Board of Urology and served as president of the Texas Surgical Society. In 1981 Herbert was selected to receive the Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Herb dearly loved his wife, Virginia, his family, his church (St. James the Fisherman Episcopal Church), UTMB and the faculty, his patients and later his students and residents. Herb was an avid fisherman and loved fishing in Galveston.
Herb was preceded in death by his parents Lillian and Claude, his wife Virginia, his brother William D. Seybold, M.D. and his son, Herbert M. Seybold, Jr. He is survived by his daughter Mary Schissler and her husband Rick and daughter Susan Seybold and her husband Rhett Campbell. He is also survived by his 9 grandchildren, Billy Knox and wife Pam, John Schissler and wife Amanda, Ginny Sandlin and husband Terry, Ben Schissler, Nancy Walker, Richard Schissler, Katherine Bain and husband Jerrod, Robert Campbell and wife Claire, and Elizabeth Pagani and husband Will and his great-grandchildren Kole and Kade Moorman, Anah Cate Jeffres and Caroline Knox, Hannah, Gage and Wyatt Schissler, Blythe, Gracie and baby on the way Sandlin, Emma, Rebecca, Braydon and Noelle Walker, Campbell Bain and Rhett Tiger Campbell.
The family wishes to thank Luna Lassiter for her loving care of Herb.
A memorial service will take place on February 28, 2015 at Trinity Episcopal Church 2216 Ball Avenue, Galveston, Texas 77550 at 11:00 a.m. where Reverend David Dearman will officiate.
In lieu of flowers and customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be made to the Herbert M. Seybold, M.D. Student Scholarship Fund, Development Services, 301 University Blvd. Galveston, Texas 77555-0148. Please be sure to specify that your donation is being made to the Herbert M. Seybold, M.D. Student Scholarship Fund and that you use the full 9 digit zip code for proper routing.