Frank Benedict Hubby, MD, 79, of Savannah, Georgia, passed away on January 17, 2019.

He was born in New York City to Kingsley K. and Frank W. Hubby, III, and spent his childhood in Princeton, NJ. He graduated from Trinity College, and received his medical degree from The University of Virginia. After his residency in pediatric and family medicine at Bellevue Hospital in New York, he pursued a life in which his medical knowledge and deep passion for helping others could be realized. This journey took him to Nigeria, Colorado, England, and Mississippi, before he found his home in Savannah, Georgia.

Ben dedicated his life to serving those in need. He set up his practice on the corner of Hall and Habersham and opened his doors to the community, whether his patients could pay for their care or not. He was one of the first physicians in Savannah to help face the ravages of the AIDS epidemic, he never passed a fire or an accident without stopping to offer help, no matter what time or where he was going. He did house calls in every part of the city for those who could not come to him. He was the kind of doctor who cared for the whole person rather than simply curing their illnesses. He brought inspirational movies and music to patients who might be moved by their messages, he invited the homeless to join for meals, he helped Vietnamese families find new homes in America in the years after the War, and his deep passion for his city eventually led him to run for Mayor.

Outside of the office, he could be found reading The New York Times over breakfast at Clary’s Drug Store, on the tennis courts of Forsyth Park, jogging around Lake Mayer, or waiting for the tides to release him from the many sandbars that he encountered while sailing the TinaBolyn (named for his daughters). He’d be browsing the books at Shaver’s or Barnes & Noble, editing his projects over a bowl of soup at the Atlantic Bread Company with his trusty yellow legal pad, discussing politics at Starbucks, and was always looking for ways to bring laughter and surprise to those around him.

His sense of humor will be remembered by all who knew him. He was unique, eccentric, and mission-driven. A doctor, a father, a writer, an inspiration, and a generous spirit who will be truly missed.

He is survived by his sister Alison Hoversten of Denver, CO, his former wife and the mother of his daughters, Barbara Gillespie of San Francisco, CA, his daughters Bettina and Bolyn Hubby of Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA, his granddaughter, Savannah K. Smith, and his amazing community at Buckingham South where he was loved and cared for over the last several years.