William W. Belk, MD

William “Bill” Wiles Belk, MD, the father every kid deserves; selfless husband; loving and giving grandad; family doctor to so many when he could still practice the art of medicine and friend to all he met. He was born October 21, 1946, in Richmond, VA and succumbed to cancer Monday, September 5, 2022, in Pensacola, FL at age 75.

He worked tirelessly and selflessly to provide for his family and friends and patients before ever accepting his portion. Bill graduated from Hampden Sydney College, with great stories of trouble he got into and successes he achieved. One such success story was passing his German class by the skin of his teeth by helping his professor win Life Master Points at Bridge tournaments. He went on to marry Martha Reynolds and attend Medical School at Virginia Commonwealth University, during which time they had their first child, Matthew. Bill received his medical training at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, then at Roosevelt Roads Naval Hospital in Puerto Rico, during which time they had their daughter, Katie, and finally at the Naval Hospital Pensacola. He served the Pensacola community as a revered and respected Family Physician for over four decades. Bill also served on the board of and for a time as the President of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians (1995). He instructed medical students from both the University of Florida and Florida State University medical schools. He received the 2013 Outstanding Educator award from the FSU College of Medicine. 

After Martha passed in 1997, he met his loving wife Lucy, and they spent the last 23 years together enjoying cooking, attending photography workshops around the country, gardening, singing in the choir of Christ Church, traveling, spoiling their beloved rescued greyhounds, and loving one another.

Playing the piano was a great love of Bill’s, and he even considered becoming a concert pianist before entering the field of medicine. At the age of ten, he bought an old Steinway with savings from his newspaper route. He was thrilled when his piano teacher took him to hear Van Cliburn. As a teenager, he won first place in the Virginia State Piano Competition and in college he spent a summer with the “Up With People” organization transposing music for Henry Mancini. His children fondly remember his huge breakfasts every Sunday morning and listening to him playing the Steinway while they got ready for service; oftentimes getting stuck at the same place and trying again “from the top.” Other pastimes that made him truly happy were sailing, entertaining, cooking, singing in the choir at church, and attending the Pensacola Symphony.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Gertrude Wiles Belk and Samuel Lawrence Belk, as well as his late wife, Martha.

He is survived by his wife, Lucy Thomes Belk; son, Matthew Reynolds Belk (Angela) of Alpharetta, GA; daughter, Catherine "Katie" Belk Anderson (Chad); and grandsons, William, and Alexander Holmes, all of Pensacola, FL. He is also survived by his brothers, Samuel Lawrence Belk (Carolyn) of Gainesville, VA and Robert "Bob" Blanton Belk (Ruth) of Summerville, SC and their families.

He lived big. He loved even bigger. And he will be deeply missed.

His service will be held 1:00pm Friday, September 16, 2022, at Christ Episcopal Church, 18 W Wright St. in Pensacola, FL with The Rev. Dr. Michael Hoffman officiating. There will be a reception following in the Parish Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Christ Episcopal Church Music Department, 18 W Wright St., Pensacola, FL 32501 and the Pensacola Symphony, 205 E Zaragoza St., Pensacola, FL 32502.