He was born in Port Arthur, Texas on September 23, 1928, the son of Elton and Katharine Riggs and grew up in McKinney, Texas where he became an Eagle Scout. His father built and operated the Crystal Ice Company in McKinney in the years before electric refrigeration and Stuart spent his youth delivering ice, and studying science and music. He graduated from Boyd High School in 1946 and attended the College of William and Mary and Rice University before attending University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. In 1951, while a medical student at UTMB he married a beautiful nursing student, Harriett Lee Davis. He graduated from UTMB in 1953 and completed Internal Medicine residency training at the University of Iowa. From 1957 to 1959 he served as a navy medical officer at the US Naval Hospital in Beaufort, SC. and then moved his family back to UTMB in Galveston and later to Dallas where he completed a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine. In 1962 Stuart and his young family moved to Houston where he served on the faculty of Baylor College from 1962 until his retirement in 1995. He was also the section chief of Infectious Diseases for Kelsey-Seybold Clinic from 1969 to 1995.
During the four decades that he practiced medicine he held staff appointments at John Sealy Hospital, Parkland Memorial Hospital, Ben Taub General Hospital, The Methodist Hospital and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Stuart greatly enjoyed the comradeship of his fellow physicians and was an active member of the Texas Infectious Diseases Society, American Society of Internal Medicine, and American College of Physicians, and published numerous articles in the most prestigious medical journals. He dearly loved his patients and colleagues at the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic where his practice focused heavily on HIV during the early years of the AIDS epidemic.
Although his professional accomplishments were numerous, his hunger for knowledge and new achievements were not confined to medicine. In middle age he became fluent in Spanish, and proficient in German, French, Italian and Russian. He was an expert photographer, traveling the world to take photographs that won many of the Houston Photographic Society contests. He studied and scrupulously recorded his family's genealogy, was an amateur pilot since the age of 16 and an 80's golfer. It would have been easy to feel inadequate around such a gifted man were it not for his great humility.
He joined First Methodist Church while a student at Rice University and was an active member of the Adelphi Class for many years, though more recently he and Harriett joined Bellaire United Methodist Church as members of the Seekers class. His greatest enjoyment came from sharing his insights into love, humanity and nature with friends and family. He taught his sons their love of learning, exploring the outdoors, and most importantly how to be a father and husband. Having overcome countless troubles and shared boundless joy, Stuart and Harriett's endless devotion serves as an eternal lesson to everyone who has known them.
Stuart is survived by his wife Harriett Lee Riggs, his sons Robert Stuart Riggs, and John William Riggs, all of Houston, and is preceded in death by his son David Thomas Riggs (1971) and his brother Robert Thomas Riggs (2009) of Dallas. He additionally is survived by two loving daughters-in-law, Marianna Buzzee Riggs and Cathleen Cournyer Riggs, and his six grandchildren, Robert David Riggs, Sonia Elena Riggs, Carmen Lee Riggs, Keith Luis Riggs, Kevin David Riggs, John Bayard Riggs and two great-grandchildren Alejandro Pelayo Riggs and Diego Antonio Riggs. During his final months and days, his family was with him every day, reflecting back to him the many years of love and devotion he had shown them. His last months were made exceptionally safe and peaceful due to the tireless care given by Thomas Harvey from Cameo Caregivers.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM Wednesday at Bellaire United Methodist Church, 4417 Bellaire Boulevard in Bellaire, TX.Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private graveside service at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery.Memorial gifts may be sent to Bellaire United Methodist Church (http://www.bellaireumc.org) or the Kelsey-Seybold Foundation (https://kelseyresearch.com).
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18