Phillip Hibbitts Rye MD

1937 - 2023

To everything, there is a season…Phillip Hibbitts Rye, MD, died peacefully on July 20, 2023, at his home. Dr. Rye was born in the middle of the Great Depression on February 25, 1937, in Texarkana, Arkansas. Moving to New Orleans in his early childhood, he lived on Congress St., Esplanade Ave., and Bourbon St. He is survived by his four sons, Sven, William (Christina), Erik (Sarah) and Phillip (Stephanie), and grandchildren, Isabella, Hudson, and Henry Rye. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Merrill Mey Rye; his sister, Phyllis Ann Rye; mother, Neva Perry Rye; and father, George Earl Rye. A beloved physician, Dr. Rye practiced medicine for over 50 years. He received his MD in 1965 from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. He completed his internship in 1966 from US Public Health Service in San Francisco and his OB-GYN residency in 1969 from Charity Hospital (LSU). He was a member of the Orleans Parish Medical Society, Louisiana State Medical Society, New Orleans Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, the New Orleans Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was passionate about patient care and helping everyone he encountered. An avid reader, he was always gifting books to empower the people he loved. He began his private practice in 1969, delivering multiple generations of babies to the families of New Orleans, and his ground-breaking research and accomplishments on women's health and infertility have been published in numerous well-respected medical journals. Prior to joining the medical field, he served his country in the US Army (1955-1958), stationed in Germany. He was a crossword puzzle genius, enjoyed fishing with his sons, hosting dinner parties and rowdy poker games on Jefferson Ave., and could always make you laugh or groan with a "Dr. Rye joke" (Boudreaux jokes were his favorite). Above all, he was the most selfless friend and fully devoted to his family who will dearly miss him. The family will hold a celebration of Dr. Rye's life in the fall. Til Valhal…