William "Bill" Curtis Woolverton, M.D., age 88, of Pensacola, FL passed away on Sunday, June 22, 2025, after a lengthy illness.

Bill was born in Jacksonville, FL and grew up in Ponte Vedra Beach. He attended Fletcher High School and The Choate School in Wallingford, CT. In addition to excelling in academics at Choate, he also wrestled, played football, was a pitcher on the baseball team and was honored with the Best Scholar-Athlete award.

He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University in 1959, where he majored in Biology and continued playing baseball while adding rugby to the mix. He was a member of the Tiger Inn eating club, which was then known familiarly as "the lair of the gentleman jock".

Dr. Woolverton continued his education at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, LA. After graduating in 1963, he served his internship and general surgery residencies at Tulane, followed by his cardiac fellowship, spending much of his time through his training years at the old Charity Hospital.

In 1963, he paused his internship to serve as an Army physician during the Vietnam War at Fort Belvoir, VA, and in Japan for 2 years.

In 1971, he was awarded a 2-year fellowship at University of California San Francisco, where he collaborated with a team to develop a heart lung machine to treat newborns with Hyaline Membrane Disease (HMD).

After returning to New Orleans, he taught at Tulane Medical School, where he was an instrumental part of the establishment of their cardiovascular program.

Bill was an exceptional teacher and dedicated professional. His legacy includes numerous young surgeons whom he mentored by example, many of whom have excelled in their respective fields. He consistently demonstrated excellence, encouraging his students to follow suit, and was recognized as the most intelligent, articulate, and well-read among his peers. Bill's operating room was highly sought after by his students and colleagues.

In 1975, he left academic medicine and moved to Pensacola, where he joined the staff at The Medical Center Clinic and worked with Dr. John Wimberly in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. Dr. David Conkle later became part of their group. These gifted physicians were thought to have the premier cardiovascular practice in the West Florida region.

In 1978, Bill met Peggy Gardner. They were married on June 29, 1979 and spent 46 wonderful years together, enjoying traveling around the world with friends, skiing, and collecting wine, which they always loved sharing.

Bill practiced at The Medical Center Clinic and West Florida Hospital until retiring in 2000. Never doing anything halfway, after retirement he audited every history course offered at the University of West Florida. He loved many things but especially his family and friends, his dogs, golf, tennis, snow skiing, travel and the occasional good cigar to pair with his fine wine collection.

Bill is preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Wolf Woolverton; his father, Frederick Tappen Woolverton, and his brothers, Frederick Tappen Woolverton, Jr. and Robert Dwight Woolverton.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Peggy Gardner Woolverton; his sons, William Scott Woolverton (Heather) of Sarasota, FL and Edward Curtis Woolverton (Alicia) of West Bloomfield, MI; his daughter, Margaret Katherine (Kit) Woolverton (Chris) of Weston, CT, and his 8 grandchildren, Lindsey, Leah, Ryan, Jackson, Riley, Benjamin, Gabriel and Sophia, and his former wife, Suzanne Pitts Woolverton of Pensacola.

The family is sincerely grateful to his loving caregivers Ossie Hale and Annetta Rosshirt, the staff at Pruitt Health Pensacola, and Dr. Jack Lurton and Nina Campbell for their love and support throughout Bill's illness.

A memorial service will be held 10:00am Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Christ Episcopal Church, 18 W. Wright St in Pensacola, with a reception to follow at Christ Church Parish Hall.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.