Robert Peel Holmes III, MD

1931 - 2016

Robert Peel (Bob) Holmes III, MD, 85, of New Bern, NC, passed away on April 29, 2016. Born on March 28, 1931, in Mt. Olive, NC, he was the son of Robert Peel Holmes Jr. and Alice Elisabeth Wooten Holmes. An Eagle Scout, Bob graduated from Mt. Olive High School in 1949 as valedictorian and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1953 with a BS in medicine. At UNC, he was a member of the Men's Honor Council, Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Gamma Delta.
Bob graduated from UNC Medical School in 1956 and completed an internship and residency in medicine at the Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He served the U.S. Army as a medical corps captain from 1957-1959 with the Korean Military Advisory Group in South Korea. Upon his return, he completed a fellowship in infectious diseases at the UNC School of Medicine in 1961 and a residency in medicine in 1962.
A resident of New Bern for 54 years, Bob was a co-founder of New Bern Internal Medicine & Cardiology in 1962 along with Dr. John R. Baggett, joined soon thereafter by Dr. Francis King when the practices merged. He was on the first medical staff of Craven County Hospital when it opened in 1963. Bob loved Craven County and its people and was proud to have been a physician to generations of Craven County residents. He was known as a tireless diagnostician and was always gratified to figure out a particularly daunting medical challenge that would help restore a patient to health.
Bob spent four years as a town commissioner of Trent Woods. An avid supporter of UNC, he has served on its Board of Visitors. In 2009, Bob was appointed to New Bern's 300th Anniversary Committee which he enjoyed tremendously given his love of history and genealogy – having traced his family roots in Craven County back to 1710, around the time the region was settled.
Bob had a zeal for reading and he enjoyed sharing his knowledge especially as it related to birding, a lifelong passion which began in his youth as a Boy Scout. When visiting, it would not be unusual to hear the phone ring at least once with a fellow birder asking him to help identify a certain bird or discuss an upcoming bird trip. He was honored in 2003 when he became a member of the "NC 400 Club" as the 7th North Carolinian to have recorded his 400th bird on a lifelong NC bird identification list. He was a charter member of the NC Bird Club, charter member of the Carolina Bird Club and a co-founder of the Lower Neuse Bird Club. Bob had a love of all things out-of-doors, hunting, fishing, the Eastern North Carolina Yacht Club and spending time at the beach with family and friends.
The loss of Bob Holmes will profoundly impact those who survive him. Family, friends and patients loved him fiercely. When you were in his company, you were enriched in some way. An intense listener, he was authentic and genuine, and cared deeply about people. There was nothing "put on" about Bob Holmes.
He has said over and again that his "chief joy" in life was his family and that was evident by the twinkle in his eyes whenever he spoke of them. He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Elizabeth (Betsy) Gatling Holmes and his devoted children - son, Robert P. Holmes IV; daughter, Charlotte Holmes Versfeld and husband, Peter (Opie); son, Thomas Wooten Holmes and wife, Allison; step-son, F. Hayes Miller and wife, Lisa; step-daughter, Caroline Gatling Miller and Joseph Varga; grandchildren, Elisabeth Holmes, Bancks Holmes, James Holmes, Stuart Holmes and Katy Versfeld; step-grandchildren, Kathleen Miller and Jordan Miller; sister, Elisabeth Wooten Holmes Lee and husband, Neill; and nieces and nephews, Neill Lee, Robert Lee, Wooten Lee Schmitz and Catherine Lee.
Funeral service will be held at 2 pm on Friday, May 6th at Garber United Methodist Church in Trent Woods. A reception will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice, the MERCI Clinic in New Bern or the Pierson-Holmes Endowment of Mt. Olive College.
Online condolences may be sent to www.pollockbest.com
Arrangements by Pollock-Best Funeral Home, New Bern.