Dr. Michael Patrick Robards

Dr. Michael Patrick Robards, Sr, 70, died unexpectedly on January, 18, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Visitation will be held at Northriver Yacht Club, Grand Salon on Tuesday, January 23, 2 - 4 p.m.
Mike was born in Princeton, KY, on November 21, 1953. He spent his early life in Western Kentucky where his love for the University of Kentucky basketball began. He also excelled in high school football on both the offensive and defensive line. He played in the state championship game, was selected to the All-Conference and All-State teams, and received football scholarships from over forty colleges. He graduated from Madisonville North Hopkins High School and then went on to graduate magna cum laude from Tennessee Technical University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He decided to pursue a medical degree and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1980. It was during this time that he met his wife and best friend, Joan. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
He spent seven years practicing medicine in Decatur, Alabama before moving to Tuscaloosa in 1992. He opened West Alabama Nephrology where he served dialysis patients throughout West Alabama. During this time he also taught medical students and residents at the Capstone Medical Center where he was awarded multiple times the Patrick McCue Award voted on by the students for outstanding contributions to undergraduate medical education. In 2009 he formed the Kidney and Hypertension Center where he built a dialysis unit and practiced there until retirement in 2015.
A lifelong learner, he enjoyed studying the Bible, cheering on Kentucky basketball, Alabama football, new technology, music, math, and spending time with his family.
He is preceded in death by his parents Robert Eugene Robards and Joan Robards Belt and his brothers Bob Robards, Steve Robards, Jimmy Scott Robards, and Mark Robards.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Joan Dempsey Robards. He is also survived by daughter Emily Robards Minner (Jay) of Lexington, KY and son, Michael Patrick Robards, Jr. (Cille) of Tuscaloosa and his grandchildren, Grace Gardner Minner, James Allen Minner, Clark Henry Minner, Betty Cobb Robards, Chappell Lucille Robards, and Alice McVay Robards. He is also survived by his sisters Shirley Hiltz (Paul) of Nashville, TN, Becky Robards of Belgrade, MO, Susan Wells (Bruce) of Princeton, KY, and sister-in-law Janice Camplin of Clearwater, FL.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Friends of The College of Community Health Sciences on behalf of The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency at give.ua.edu or P.O. Box 870326, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.