Robert Floyd M.D. Jr.

1935 - 2018

Robert Floyd Jr., M.D.
September 7, 1935 ~ November 25, 2013
Resident of San Jose
Robert Floyd, Jr., M.D. grew up in rural Mississippi in a humble, hard-working family living under Jim Crow segregation. He nurtured the dream that he would one day become a doctor and fly airplanes. It is testimony to his grit, determination, love of learning, and the unwavering support of his family and community, that Bob successfully hurdled all social and economic obstacles placed in his way to achieve these dreams and a great deal more.
After graduating from Meharry Medical School, in Nashville, TN, in 1961, Bob became the one of the first African-Americans to graduate from the United States Naval Aerospace Medical Institute and became our country's second African-American Naval Flight Surgeon. While stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, Lt. Commander Floyd flew reconnaissance missions and treated Marine troops in Vietnam.
After leaving active duty, Bob completed his OB/GYN residency and went onto develop a successful private practice as an Obstetrician & Gynecologist in San Jose, CA. He delivered hundreds of babies over his 40 year medical career, taught generations of OB/GYN residents, and passionately advocated across his life for women's health care and reproductive rights. His work in this arena contributed to numerous advances in policy, medical technique and technology.
He served as both Chief of Staff & Department Chair at Alexian Brothers Hospital (now SJ Regional Medical Center), as well as a Member of the hospital's Board of Trustees. He was also President of the Shufelt Gynecological Society, Councilor for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Association, and was a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology at Stanford University. For his achievements, he was recognized as a "Health-Care Pioneer" by the organization, 100 Black Men, and honored for his contributions to health care by his alma mater, Meharry Medical College.
Bob married his Southern University college sweetheart, the late Barbara Ann Frilot Floyd, and they were blessed to celebrate 50 years of marriage and 57 years of loving partnership. He deeply admired her and often said she was the best part of his life.
This union brought two daughters, the late Cassandra Floyd, M.D., of San Jose, CA, and Colleen Floyd-Carroll of Philadelphia, PA. He was a proud and loving grandfather to his three grandchildren and leaves them a legacy of accomplishment, great passion for learning and the value of persistence in the face of obstacles.
He bravely fought a long battle with the neurodegenerative disorder, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and donated his brain to the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and his body to medical education at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. In so doing, he continued his lifelong quest to teach and serve.
Bob is survived by his siblings, Henrietta Payne & Bobby Louis Floyd (Elaine), his daughter, Colleen Floyd-Carroll (Michael), his grandchildren, Iman Floyd-Carroll, Xavier Carroll, and Zora Rose Carroll, and a host of nieces and nephews.
In his memory, a scholarship for African-American medical students committed to supporting women's health and ensuring reproductive rights has been established at Meharry Medical College. Contributions can be made to "The Robert Floyd Jr., M.D., Women's Health Scholarship", c/o Gifts Management Program, Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D.B. Todd, Jr. Boulevard, Nashville, Tennessee, 37208 or at http://www.mmc.edu/about/give-to-meharry.
A Celebration of Life event will be held Sept 8, 2018 followed by a private burial-at-sea. For information, please contact celebratingbobfloyd@gmail.com


View the online memorial for Robert  Floyd Jr., M.D.