Henry Dayton Wilde Jr.

Henry Dayton Wilde, Jr., 93, left his earthly life on June 3, 2024, at Highland Farms in Black Mountain, North Carolina where he and his wife, Cis, have been living since 2020.

Henry was born in Houston on May 7, 1931, to Henry Dayton and Louise Key “Easy” Wilde. Growing up with two younger brothers, he attended River Oaks Elementary, Lanier Middle School, and Lamar High School, graduating in 1949. He then attended The College of William and Mary where he pledged Kappa Sigma Fraternity, was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, was elected cheer leader and graduated in 1953 with a BS in Chemistry. In 1996, he received William & Mary’s Outstanding Alumni Award.

On June 14, 1955, he married Martha “Cis” Brockenbrough, a beautiful and adventurous girl he met while attending William and Mary. They spent their honeymoon in Scotland where Henry, while still in med school, had a summer job performing autopsies in Edinburgh. Henry always finished by noon so that he and his bride could tour the countryside on his motorcycle.

His successful medical career began when he enrolled at Tulane Medical School where he was a member of Alpha Omaga Alpha and Phi Chi Fraternity, graduating with an M.D. degree in 1957. His studies there led him to specialize in orthopedic surgery which he pursued at Baylor College of Medicine, Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, and Mass General Hospital in Boston. As a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, he served as Chief of Orthopedics at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 1965, he began his private orthopedic surgery practice in Houston, which continued until his retirement in 1992. He served as Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and Chief of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at Ben Taub Hospital. His professional associations included memberships in the Harris County and American Medical Associations, the Houston Orthopedic Association of which he was president, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, and the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons. Among his patients, he was known for his caring and witty bedside manner and his strict adherence to the Hippocratic Oath.

Henry was a long-time faithful member of First Presbyterian Church in Houston where he served as Deacon and Elder. More recently he has been a member of the Black Mountain Presbyterian Church. He supported Amigos de las Americas and served on its International Board of Directors and as president of the Houston chapter. He also served on the Boards of Directors of Houston Goodwill Industries and the Nehemiah Center.

No description of Henry would be complete without describing his love for the mountains of North Carolina. He started going to Montreat as a youth and continued spending summers there throughout his lifetime. He and his brothers were participants and leaders in the “Montreat Clubs” program as have been his children and grandchildren. His family continues to gather frequently at his “Wildewood” home there. He served on the Montreat Board of Trustees and the Montreat Development and Endowment Foundation. He was passionate about golf, often taking golf trips with friends, and playing through his memberships at River Oaks Country Club in Houston and at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, North Carolina. His other passions included photography; international travel with his brothers and their wives; and cooking (and eating) elaborate Asian and Cajun cuisine – the spicier the better. One of his favorite things was making seafood gumbo for his family on Christmas day.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 69 years Martha B. Wilde, his children and grandchildren, Henry Dayton Wilde III and wife, Susan, Ben and wife Jordan, and Martha Wilde; David C. Wilde and wife, Catherine, Janie Zilkha and husband Daniel, David Jr. and wife Kelly; James W. K. Wilde, Mimi Seely and husband Matt, and James Wilde; and daughter Allison Wilde. He is also survived by his brother Carlton D. Wilde, sister-in-law Ann Wilde, brother-in-law Ned Brockenbrough and wife Jean, his great-grandchildren Genevieve and Marguerite Zilkha and Lawson and Gray Wilde, and numerous nieces, nephews, their family and extended family. He was predeceased by his brother William Key “Bill’ Wilde, his sister-in-law Martha “Marty” Wilde, his grandson, Wilson Wallace Wilde and great-grandson Arthur Wilde Zilkha.

A Memorial service honoring his life will take place on Friday June 14, 2024 at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church at 11:00 A.M. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Montreat Conference Center, Montreat College or the charity of your choice.

Groce Funeral Home’s Lake Julian team is assisting the family.