Anthony E. Watkins M.D.

Dr. Anthony Evans Watkins, at eighty-six years of age, peacefully departed life at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC on January 15, 2025. He was born November 3, 1938, to the late Dewey Cole Watkins and Ruth Hall Watkins at Uniontown Memorial Hospital in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Watkins was a graduate of Howard University College of Liberal Arts (1962) and the College of Medicine (1966). He completed his Medical Internship at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Baltimore, MD and his Internal Medicine Residency Program at the Washington Hospital Center (WHC) in the District of Columbia. Dr. Watkins was Board Certified in Cardiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Internal Medicine, with an Executive M.B.A. Certificate Business of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University. His private medical practice was at MedStar Washington Hospital Center Physicians Office Building in Washington, DC for more than forty years. For numerous consecutive years, he was recognized in the annual Washingtonian Top Doctors for his distinction in the specialty of cardiovascular diseases.
Following three years of military service in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Watkins was honorably discharged at the rank of Surgeon. Having worked in Baltimore, MD and on Staten Island, NY during this period, he returned to Washington, DC where he worked as the Emergency Room Medical Officer at the WHC and later was appointed as its ER Director. In subsequent years, his medical teaching awards were many, including those as a Fellow at the George Washington University Hospital in Internal Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, Fellow in Cardiology at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington, DC and at Washington Hospital Center. His publications appear in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, British Medical Journal, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Watkins was often an invited speaker at community health-focused meetings, served as a board member of local and national health organizations, became Chief of Cardiology and Director of the Coronary Care Unit at Greater Southeast Community Hospital, and was named Associate Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Washington Hospital Center.
He held several hospital leadership positions, including membership on the Medlantic Board and others that transitioned the new brand-name to become MedStar Washington Hospital Center and its affiliate MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. During his forty-seven-year career, Dr. Watkins became a pillar of the institution which afforded him an opportunity to succeed in his medical profession. In addition, his civic connections included The Consorts, Washington Guardsmen, Washington Boulé, The Group, Howard University Men of the 50s and 60s, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Dr. Watkins, often referred to as "Tony," exemplified ethical professionalism with dignity, grace and a guidance of the medical oath he pledged to uphold. His professional affiliations included the Medico-Chirurgical Society of DC, Inc., American Heart Association, Medical Society of DC and the American Society of Internal Medicine. He was a Sloan Scholarship Recipient, a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Co-Chair of Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly's Health Committee for Washington, DC, and was the first elected African American physician president of the Medical and Dental Staff at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (1993-2001). In 1996, Dr. Watkins was awarded the Washington Hospital Center's prestigious Gold Headed Cane. He retired in 2014 from MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Throughout his career, Dr. Watkins loved and respected the medical profession, his patients, his colleagues and his loving family. With poignant humility, he shared his insight and knowledge, engaged in research, and left an impact with his mark of passion for excellence and integrity in the medical profession and in his personal life.
As "Tony," Dr. Watkins always enjoyed a good game of tennis at the public playgrounds or at selected courts in the DC area. For quiet pastimes, he was an avid reader of mysteries and world history, but his true favorite was watching sports on television. His brief stint of playing minor league softball in the Pennsylvania leagues gave him a very personal appreciation and understanding of an athlete's career. So, being blessed with three sons afforded him the joy of teaching each one of them the skills of many sports throughout their growing years. With three grandchildren, he continued teaching and giving hugs and salutes for all their good work. Indeed, he dearly cherished his retirement years with the grandkids. Tony was a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, neighbor, colleague, friend and physician whose life was an inspiration for all who knew and loved him. At his request, a private final parting for Dr. Watkins was with his family at historic St. Paul's Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC.
Dr. Watkins is survived by his devoted wife of fifty-seven years, Gladys Manigault Watkins; sons Steven Anthony Watkins, Craig Anthony Watkins, M.D. (Runa Diwadkar Watkins, M.D.) and Evan Anthony Watkins (Opal Gray Watkins); grandchildren Jayson Craig Watkins; Jasmine India Watkins and Anthony Evan Watkins, II; one sister, Marian Williams (Ralph Williams dec.); one brother, Rufus Watkins (Sheila Watkins); sisters-in-law Bertha Watkins and Naomi Manigault Holmes (Bert W. Holmes Jr., M.D. dec.); several dear nieces, nephews and cousins. His brothers Robert (Marlene Watkins, dec.), Richard (Bertha Watkins) and Curtis preceded him in death. Tony's friendships were numerous and of immense treasure to his life. The Watkins family extends its warmest gratitude for the many acts of kindness and the gracious expressions of love and caring shared during their time of bereavement.
In Memoriam, contributions and supporting gifts are always appreciated by:
MedStar Washington Hospital Center,110 Irving Street, N.W., Attn: Harsh Srivastava, Washington, DC 20010. (Memo: The Isabel Pryce Needy Sick Fund.) https://giving.medstarhealth.org/medstarhealth/get-involved/donate/Watkins
Howard University College of Medicine. Please make checks payable to Howard University and include College of Medicine in the Memo. Mail to Howard University, P.O. Box 22960, New York, NY 10087-2960. https://giving.howard.edu/HUCOM.
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