Dr. Bruce Wingo succumbed to a long fought battle with Parkinson’s Disease on Saturday, October 3rd. He leaves behind his wife, Marcie, son, Matthew and daughter in-law Alana, daughter Dr. Elizabeth (Horton) and son-in-law Sam Horton, son Patrick, and grandchildren Caroline and Austin Wingo. He is preceded in death by his parents, Doyle and Sadie Wingo, and his sister, Joan Cagle. Born in Jasper, AL in 1949 to loving parents, his dreams and aspirations were bigger than the two-room house he grew up in, and he recognized early on that education would be his key to success. After completing high school shortly after his 17th birthday, he enlisted with the US Army. The military provided Bruce with the opportunity to study at the University of Alabama, where he completed his undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Chemistry. After college, he attended medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, followed by a residency in Anesthesiology. He completed his commitment to the Army by teaching at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Bruce was honorably discharged from the military as a Captain and returned home to his native Alabama to go into private practice. He practiced in Anniston, Mobile, and finally in Huntsville, where he not only cared for his patients, but helped train generations of physicians and nurses. As a young physician, he would work weekends at hospitals across the state, and he took up flying airplanes to reduce his commute. He fell in love with the art and discipline of flying, and it soon became his passion. Flying put him in control of the skies and his worries flitted away as he soared through the air. He zigzagged across the US, taking his family on weekend trips, and teaching them that a little turbulence in life is to be expected. Many of those lessons happened as he flew through snowstorms to reach his favorite skiing destinations. Skiing and winter sports were a family affair, and his last big trip with his sons was to have a final run at Coloradan slopes. Aside from his daredevil tendencies, he was known for his love of mathematics and learning. Whether reading from a book on algebraic topology or studying early Renaissance history, he always found time to expand his mind. Even as he got older, he would continue to watch lectures and quote from Western canon. Not all learning with him was academic in nature. As his children grew up, they would visit him in his study for practical advice, philosophical wisdom, or even just to learn about the greats of Rock and Roll. When you heard the sounds of Yes, Crosby, Stills & Nash, CCR, and Chicago emanating from the crack underneath the door, you knew a visit to his office would entail the latter type of lesson. All of his children have been so influenced by the wisdom and character he imparted during hours way past their bedtimes. Bruce loved selflessly, and family was the most important pillar in his life. He empowered them to take good risks and explore the world around them. Inevitably, his children would imitate his bold spirit, albeit poorly, leading Bruce to put a new meaning on resident physician. He stitched up where forehead met a certain brick fireplace in all three of his children and performed mouth-to-mouth on his son after a particularly unwise stair-surfing incident. He was the ever-present doting father, and he loved without judgement. Bruce met his wife, Marcie, in Anniston. On their first date, he surprised her by flying her to New Orleans in his single-engine Mooney and taking her to dinner at the Court of Two Sisters. Bruce, of course, flew her safely home that evening. That flight blossomed into a 38-year romance full of love, travel and children. The family wishes to thank Bruce’s long-time caregiver and friend, Irma DeLuna, for her love and compassion throughout this journey. A private, family-only memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 7th at the Church of the Nativity, where his remains will be interred in the Memorial Garden at Nativity. The Rev. Michael Goldsmith and the Rev. Dr. Virginia Monroe will preside. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, https://www.michaeljfox.org or the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s, https://davisphinneyfoundation.org