Dr. Harry Hudnall Ware III

1932 - 2025

Dr. Harry Hudnall Ware, III died peacefully at home on November 25, 2025 at the age of 93. Dr. Ware, known as Hudnall to family and friends, was the son of the late Dr. Harry Hudnall Ware, Jr. and Mary Warren Williams Ware. He was predeceased by his son, Hudnall Ware, IV, and his brothers, Marshall Ware and Latané Ware. He is survived by his wife, Betty Byrne Ware, daughter-in-law Hester Ware, sons William Compton "Wic" Ware, John Ware (Ann), Robert Ware (Anna), and Samuel Ware (Mona), stepdaughter Ellen Webster, stepson John Chaney, Jr. (Darcy), twelve grandchildren, and six step-grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly. He is also survived by his sister, Isabel Burch, his sister-in-law, Betsy Ware, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Hudnall's life was guided by the importance of family, both personally and professionally. He was born in Richmond and grew up in the Fan District, close to so many of his Williams relatives that they referred to their neighborhood as 'Little Williamsburg.' He spent summers as a child with his grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins at Ware's Wharf on the Rappahannock River, exploring the river and learning to swim, sail, crab, fish, and water ski, being among the first in Virginia to try out that new sport in the 1940s.

After graduating from St. Christopher's School in 1950, he went to The University of Virginia, where he earned a B.A. in 1954 and an M.D. in 1958. He was active in student life and served as Secretary of the Student Council and Co-Captain of the Swimming Team and lived on the Lawn and the Range. He was a member of St. Anthony Hall (Delta Psi) and was inducted into the 7 Society, the IMP Society, and T.I.L.K.A. A devoted alumnus, he was forever grateful for his time at "The University" and the friendships he made there.

For two summers during college, he joined the Military Sea Transport Service as an ordinary seaman and traveled to Casablanca, Trieste, Istanbul, and other ports of call in the Mediterranean and England while working as a dishwasher, an experience that made a lasting impression on him and stoked his curiosity about the world.

After U.Va., he interned at the Medical College of Virginia from 1958-1959 and then was an Assistant Resident, Chief Resident, and Instructor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical School from 1959-1964. He considered his time in New York City the best educational experience of his life and started a family with his first wife Pam while there. They moved to Colorado in 1964, where he served on active duty as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1964-1966, stationed at Ft. Carson. He introduced his young children to camping and fishing while in the Rockies, sharing with them his love for the outdoors.

In 1966, Hudnall returned to Richmond to practice Ob/Gyn with his father and eventually co-founded the Virginia Women's Center, one of the largest medical practices devoted to women's healthcare in the state. Board certified in 1967 and re-certified in 1980, he was an attending physician at St. Mary's Hospital, the Medical College of Virginia, and Henrico Doctors' Hospital, and served as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology and on the Executive Committee of St. Mary's Hospital. He served as president of the Richmond Obstetrics and Gynecological Society, on the Executive Committee of the South Atlantic Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and was active in many other professional organizations. At a time when Ob/Gyn was still practiced largely by men, he believed strongly in mentoring and hiring women doctors. He delivered thousands of children in his career and enjoyed hearing news about them as they grew and continued their journey in life. In 40 years as a physician, he never failed to be awed by the experience of childbirth, which he considered a divine miracle.

The proud father of five sons, he frequently worked long days and nights but was always home in time for dinner with his family. He enjoyed a good conversation, especially over a meal, and encouraged his children to form their own opinions about current events and find inspiration in literature, music, and art. A voracious reader, he never left home without a book, in case he had a few minutes to spare. He was an avid runner, but he truly loved to swim and was the founding member of the Polar Bear Club at the Country Club of Virginia. He looked forward to wide-ranging discussions with his Wednesday lunch friends at the Commonwealth Club. But among his many memberships, the most prized was Costco, earning him the affectionate nickname 'Captain Kirkland' from his children.

Hudnall never missed a Richmond Rotary meeting in 50 years, was a lifelong member of St. James's Episcopal Church where he was on the vestry, and served on the boards of Westminster-Canterbury and the Greater Richmond Area Red Cross. In 1999, he received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America's Central Virginia Council. In retirement, he volunteered at the Goochland Free Clinic and the CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, which honored him with its Compassionate Care Award in 2015. Volunteering was deeply meaningful to him, and he loved that his experience could help people who did not have access to the healthcare they needed.

At the age of 52, Hudnall met Betty Byrne, and they had an instant connection. They shared a passion for travel, classical music, and wine and were married in 1985, recently celebrating 40 happy years together. They made close friendships with their neighbors, young and old. Hudnall took up cooking later in life and enjoyed nothing better than preparing a meal at home for loved ones, reminiscing, talking about the news of the day, and listening with delight to any good story you might bring to the table. He was fond of sharing his favorite blessing at dinnertime, words he strived to live by: "May we be patient, understanding, and loving of ourselves so that we may be patient, understanding, and loving of one another and live a life acceptable in the sight of God."

The family would like to thank his loving caregivers, Keisha Manley, Brenda Corbin, Ethel Hayden, and Silas Mambo. A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 16 at 12 p.m. at St. James's Episcopal Church, 1205 West Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23220, followed by a reception at Michaux House. A family burial will take place in Hollywood Cemetery before the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the CrossOver Healthcare Ministry or St. James's Children's Center at the above address.