John Haynes M.D. Jr.

1937 - 2021

John Haynes Jr., MD

Vivian - John Haynes, Jr., MD, a renowned rural family physician and surgeon, and community leader of Northwest Louisiana and Northeast Texas, passed away June 7, 2021 after a long battle with cardiovascular disease. Dr.Haynes was born on March 7, 1937, in Bloomburg, TX. Johnny, or "Doc" as referred to by those closest to him, worked at his father's service station as a youngster. He was an All-State High School Basketball Player in Atlanta, TX. Dr. Haynes attended Centenary College with a major in Chemistry and he then went on to teach sciences at Byrd High School in Shreveport. Following his teaching career, he attended Medical School at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX and completed his residency training in Family Medicine at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, TX. In 1966, he began his medical practice in Vivian, Louisiana, and became Chief of Staff at North Caddo Memorial Hospital where he was a catalyst and leader for quality healthcare for the region for over 50 years. He was a founding member of the American Board of Family Medicine, and was known for his drive and passion for full service rural healthcare and his compassionate, patient-centered bedside manner. Dr. Haynes was a courageous, caring country doctor who healed and saved the lives of thousands of patients. He touched the lives of so many families with kindness and dedication - a true doctor of the body and soul.

He was on the faculty of Family Medicine at LSU Medical School in Shreveport. Dr. Haynes taught many medical students, residents, nurses and health professionals throughout the years. In 1993, he founded the Rural Family Practice Fellowship and residency in conjunction with Willis-Knighton Health System and Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Medicine in Shreveport, LA. He was the premier recipient of the National Country Doctor of the Year award in 1993 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to rural health care. Dr. Haynes was also honored as the Louisiana Family Practitioner of the Year in 1998 and again in 2004 and the Louisiana Rural Practitioner of the Year award in 1998 and 2009. Dr. Haynes served the United States of America in the Texas National Guard & Air Force Reserve receiving Honorable Discharge from the Air Force as a Major. He loved and cared for the good people in the Ark-La-TX and will be forever remembered, not only for the positive difference he made in their lives, but also for his heart-felt compassion, love, dedication for his community.

When he was not practicing medicine, Doc was hunting, fishing, or skeet shooting. He was an avid sportsman and an Olympic Skeet Shooting Champion. He loved spending time with family and friends, early mornings in the duck blinds, squirrel hunting and quail hunting with his bird dogs. He was a very spiritual man who loved God and lived by Browning's quote, "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"

Dr. Haynes was an amazing father, grandfather and great-grandfather who loved his family more than anything. He was our family's guiding light and his loss is tremendous. He is survived by his wife, Tomye Sue Little; his sister, Connie Haynes Thomason, and brother-in-law, Steve Little and wife Nita and family; his children, John ("Jay") Harlan Haynes III, MD. and daughter-in-law Bonny of Argyle, Texas; Loree Haynes Denney and son-in-law Mark of Aubrey, Texas; Andrew Thomas Haynes, MD. and daughter in-law Sylvia of Benton, Louisiana. He is also survived by 9 grandchildren, Ashlyn Lawson (spouse, Jason Lawson), John Harlan Haynes IV, Trevor Green (spouse, Dr. Allison Green), Madelyn Haynes, Drew Haynes, Katie Haynes, Carly Haynes, Sarah Haynes, & Claire Haynes, as well as 4 great-grandchildren; James, Elizabeth Sue, Owen, & Haynes. He is preceded in death by his Father, John Harlan Haynes Sr., his mother Evelyn Hale Haynes, and his brother, Jerry Hale Haynes.

The viewing will be on June 12, 2021, from 4-6 PM at the First Baptist Church in Vivian, La.

To honor Dr. John Haynes, the family requests that memorial donations be made to: Willis-Knighton Health System c/o "John Haynes Family Medicine Educational Fund", 2600 Greenwood, Shreveport, LA 71103.

"Sunset and evening star, and one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea," Tennyson