David Clay Mullins, age 86, passed away on February 17, 2026, in Shavano Park, TX. Born on December 19, 1939, in Beaumont, TX, to Marie Gray Mullins and Clay Mullins, he spent his formative years in Sun Pipeline oil field camps across Texas before graduating from Sour Lake High School. He attended Abilene Christian College (now University) for three years prior to his admission to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 1960. In 1962, David met Virginia (Jinny) Frazier, and they married the day before he graduated from medical school in 1964. Following an internship at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, David served in the Air Force in Charleston, South Carolina for two years before completing his pediatric and neonatology residencies in Oklahoma City and Tulsa in 1972. After short tenures in Norfolk, Virginia and Corpus Christi, Texas the family settled in San Antonio in early 1974, where David managed the NICU at Santa Rosa Hospital while working for the UT Health Science Center. For approximately 12-18 months, he was the only civilian neonatologist in San Antonio, overseeing both the Santa Rosa and Robert B. Green NICUs. In 1978, David transitioned to private neonatology practice and continued his leadership at the Santa Rosa NICU, playing a pivotal role in expanding NICU services, advancing the development of a neonatology fellowship program and helping establish a regional transport system utilizing Army helicopters that provided free air transport for newborns throughout South Texas, well ahead of Life Flight’s introduction in 1990. He personally accompanied many of those flights to communities such as Del Rio and Laredo. In 1981, David partnered with three colleagues who were then overseeing the NICU at Methodist Hospital, and together they built a practice of neonatologists that has grown to provide 24/7 coverage across multiple NICUs and surrounding communities and established the foundation of the regional network that exists today.
In addition to the many hours spent at the bedside of premature infants, David found time to serve as an Elder for many years at Oak Hills Church of Christ and later at Northside Church of Christ. Along with serving the church in other ways, he and Jinny were also privileged to work and travel with the youth group at Oak Hills during the late 80’s and into early 2000’s, long after their children were grown.
After retiring as a physician at the end of 2006, David turned full time to his passion for yardwork. He had spent his teenage years working summers digging pipeline ditches -by hand- in the summer heat of the Big Thicket of Texas so he thought nothing of spending many long hours working in his yard. Later when the Briscoe Western Art Museum opened its doors, he turned to his love of western art and immediately applied to be in the first class of docents, only retiring after the effects of dementia made it more difficult to continue. He and Jinny were avid western art collectors and whole heartedly supported the Briscoe in all its endeavors as well as supporting several other western art museums as they traveled to art shows around the U.S.
David was preceded in death by his parents; his son-in-law, Geoff George; and sister-in-law, Donna Mullins. David is survived by his wife of 61 years, Virginia Mullins; children, Brett Mullins (Suzanne), Kelly George, and Michael Mullins (Moye); grandchildren, Amanda and Katie Mullins, Caleb (Veronika), Aiden, Avery, Seth and Callie George and Hunter Sanders George (Bella) and Addie, Tyler and Carson Mullins; siblings, Ed Mullins and Jennifer Dacy (Joe), and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family extends sincere gratitude to Hope Cisneros for her loving care and help in David’s final months.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 4:00 pm, at Northside Church of Christ, San Antonio, TX.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Briscoe Western Art Museum, Northside Church of Christ, or Tunnel 2 Towers Foundation (T2T).
