Richard H. "Doc" Driscoll

Richard H. "Doc" Driscoll, 89, died on Wednesday, Jan. 12, at Flagler Hospital.

Dr. Driscoll was a native and longtime resident of Philadelphia. He had been a seasonal resident of St. Augustine, Fla., since 1980, spending time between there and Pocono Lake Preserve.

Dr. Driscoll attended Syracuse University on a wrestling scholarship, graduating in 1936, and went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, graduating in 1940.

He was commissioned in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he served as a surgeon and spent his time "island hopping" and around the South Pacific. He retired from the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander.

After leaving the Navy, he entered private practice as a surgeon. He was a staff surgeon at Presbyterian Hospital and Jeanes Hospital in the Philadelphia area for 30 years and was an associate professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School.

In the late 1970s, he relocated to Pocono Lake Preserve and was on the staff at Palmerton Hospital until the early 1980s.

He was an avid supporter of the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of the Medical School Alumni Club, the Football Club and the Basketball Club.

Doc was a lifelong athlete and sports fan. His first love was playing baseball, and he was a passionate fan of the New York Yankees. As a middle-aged man, Doc enjoyed competing regularly in squash and tennis, and as he aged beyond these activities, he took up the game of golf, which he played until this past year. He was a member of Anastasia Baptist Church, the St. Augustine Elk's Lodge and the St. Augustine Sports Club.

Dr. Driscoll is survived by his daughters, Patricia D. Smail and her husband, David, of Staunton, Va., Caroline Dewey and her husband, Charles, of Westport, Conn., and Lindsay D. White and her husband, Walker, of Washington, D.C.; sons, Richard H. Driscoll Jr. and his wife, Pam, of Seattle, Wash., and T. Jeffrey Driscoll of Easton, Md.; and 11 grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 16, at Anastasia Baptist Church with Rev. Ron Moore, pastor, officiating. Flowers are greatly declined, and those wishing to make a contribution to his memory may do so to Anastasia Baptist Church, 1630 A1A South, St. Augustine, Fla. 32080.