Dr. Frank Albert Moorhead

Dr. Frank Moorhead passed away peacefully on January 15, 2025, at the age of 92. He was born and raised in Tampa, FL, to parents Mary and Hugh Moorhead. While in high school, Dr. Moorhead played saxophone in the marching band and he maintained a life-long love of music, singing in many of the choirs of the churches he attended over the years. Although he characterized his early years as filled with physical labor to include working on construction, building roads and bridges, and picking fruit in citrus groves, he enjoyed the camaraderie of his fellow workers. He also worked as a seasonal mail carrier, and he fondly remembered the joy on the recipients’ faces of Christmas mail. Dr. Moorhead attended the University of Tampa where he rowed crew, and he later graduated from medical school at the University of Miami in 1959. Although never officially going to the University of Florida, he was an avid Florida Gators fan. After a medical internship at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, he joined the Army Medical Department as a general practitioner. He met the love of his life, Mary Comer, in 1961 at the Fort Sam Houston, Texas in the post office, while waiting in line to mail Christmas gifts home. They married in 1962. They both then served as Army officers with Dr. Moorhead as a physician and Mary as a dietitian while stationed at Fort Lewis, WA where their daughter, Cynthia was born.

In 1963 Dr. Moorhead left military service to open a private practice in Tampa, FL, where his second daughter, Priscilla “Trish” was subsequently born. Returning to Florida provided Dr. and Mrs. Moorhead the opportunity to be closer to extended family and enjoy boating, fishing, and beach activities along the Gulf Coast where he grew up. Throughout the years, Dr. Moorhead owned several boats, and he acknowledged the joy and burden of ownership, noting something always needed repair. In Tampa, he was an active member of the Krewe of Venus, a social organization, which celebrates Gasparilla, a re-enactment of the pirate invasion of Tampa Bay, additionally, he helped raise funds to build the original Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ stadium. Dr. Moorhead continued to return to Florida throughout his lifetime to visit family and to enjoy some of his favorite places: Indian Rocks Beach, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater.

Returning to the military in 1971, Dr. Moorhead jokingly said he left private practice because being “paid with chickens,” during the days of “Fee-For-Service” billing, did not pay the bills. His first assignment was to Fort Sheridan, IL where he served as the Officer-in-Charge of the Army health clinic, and where he became the first Army physician to pass the newly established Family Practice Board Certification. He was then selected to develop and lead Family Practice residencies at Ft. Benning and at Ft. Gordon, Georgia, where he was the first Chief of the newly established Department of Family Practice. While stationed in Georgia, Dr. Moorhead fulfilled a life-long dream to become a private pilot and he later obtained his instrument rating.

While serving in Stuttgart, Germany, Dr. Moorhead was promoted to Colonel, where he oversaw many regional medical clinics. He and Mary enjoyed travelling in Europe with their daughters and Dr. Moorhead’s mother. While pursuing new hobbies, such as learning to sail and snow skiing, Dr. Moorhead loved to take his family “Volksmarching”, an outdoor fitness walking activity, in which one would earn medals for completing predetermined routes, afterwhich fellow walkers would gather to socialize and enjoy bratwurst, beer or wine.

After his time in Germany, Dr. Moorhead pursued additional medical training and completed an Internal Medicine residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He recalled humorous experiences of being the “Old Man” among his younger physician peers, and although challenging, he found the training a professionally rewarding experience. Subsequently, Dr. Moorhead became Chief of the Department of Medicine, Ft. Benning, Georgia, where he held an instrumental role in validating the medical aspects of the Army Over-40 Physical Training Program. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Moorhead returned to San Antonio where he served in many capacities for Army Health Services Command (HSC). He was instrumental in the creation of the HSC, Information Systems Plan and further implemented the mandatory pulse oximetry monitoring program for surgical patients. He also served as the Chief, Clinical Medical Division, and as the Internal Medicine Consultant to The Surgeon General.

Dr. Moorhead’s last military assignment was at Carlisle Barracks, PA, home of the Army War College, where he served as the Director of Health Services for the Military installation. As Commander of the Dunham Army Health Clinic he was also responsible for overseeing medical readiness, in addition to the provision of primary, specialty, and preventive health services for the warriors, and their families. He also served as the Medical Officer accompanying the students and staff of the Army War College on their annual trips to the United Nations in New York City.

Dr Moorhead retired as a full Colonel in 1990 with many awards and commendations, including the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal and Order of Military Medical Merit. After military retirement, Dr. Moorhead returned to San Antonio where he enjoyed a productive career, serving as an Internist in various positions. He oversaw clinical trials at Wilford Hall Air Force Medical Center, additionally serving as a staff physician at Brooke Army Medical Center. Dr. Moorhead was also a founding member of the McGregor Medical Group of San Antonio, where he directed clinical operations and cared for an established patient panel. Following retirement from clinical practice, he continued to serve in various administrative medical roles.

Throughout his career, Dr. Moorhead held adjunct faculty appointments, (Emory University, Medical College of Georgia, the Uniformed Services of Health Sciences and the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio), and he served as a clinical preceptor for Texas medical students. He enjoyed teaching hands-on clinical skills, always emphasizing the Art of medicine, and reminding students to “Treat the patient, not the x-ray.” He was proud to have been a Charter Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and to have maintained his Internal Medicine Board certification into his late eighth decade.

Dr. Moorhead maintained a lifelong dedication to his faith and philanthropy in his community. He attended St. George Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Texas during the 1980’s -1990s, serving as lector and vestry member. Dr. Moorhead and Mary then became active members of Christ Episcopal Church in San Antonio in the late 1990s, where they volunteered many years distributing food and clothing in the church food pantry. Additionally, Dr. Moorhead served as lector and Eucharistic Lay Minister visiting homebound church members. Once infirmities limited Dr. Moorhead’s physical attendance at church services, he continued to serve by calling church members on the Prayer list to pray and visit with them. Dr. Moorhead extended his philanthropy in the community, as he proudly served a term limit on the board of Any Baby Can (ABC) San Antonio, an organization that serves as a safety net and beacon of hope for families of children and youth with special healthcare needs. Through their “early intervention services” at ABC, Dr. Moorhead extended his joy of teaching by engaging with youth, and aiding them in developing their reading skills and proficiency. He often expressed the great joy he received from his time spent reading to and with the children. Dr. Moorhead also had a lifelong love for gardening. As a graduate of the “Bexar County Master Gardener” training program, he fondly remembers volunteering at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens in the Children’s Garden.

Dr. Moorhead overcame many health issues in his advanced years, and he felt blessed to have enjoyed life without significant physical limitations until recent years. Early in his career he embraced a holistic approach to medicine with a focus on Functional and Integrative Medicine. He believed in pursuing a healthy lifestyle of moderation and participating in regular exercise, and was still riding his recumbent bike daily, until just prior to his passing. His dedication to health, medicine and patient care, inspired both his daughters to follow health care careers.

Dr. Moorhead was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and grandfather. He is preceded in death by his brother, Reid Moorhead, and is survived by his loving wife Mary, daughters Cynthia Stone (Gregory) and Priscilla Moorhead (Jason Balthrop) and grandsons Colin and Derek Stone. The family would like to thank Arden Park Assisted Living, for their loving care of Dr. Moorhead and for supporting our family, as he peacefully returned home, to be with his Father in heaven.

The family will be receiving guests on Sunday, February 9, 2025, from 2:00 – 5:00 pm at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

SERVICE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2025

11:00 AM

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

510 BELKNAP PLACE

Burial to follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery with Military Honors.

In Lieu of flowers please donate:

ANY BABY CAN SAN ANTONIO

THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN