The medical community and residents across Alabama are mourning the loss of Dr. Hoyt A. Childs, Jr., MD, a respected physician, Navy veteran, and devoted family man who passed away peacefully on November 11, 2025, in Geneva, Alabama. He was 80 years old.
Born on August 21, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Childs—known affectionately as Hoyt, Jr.—was remembered for his deep compassion, unwavering faith, and lifelong dedication to healing others.
A graduate of Samson High School and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Dr. Childs devoted over four decades to medicine, specializing in both Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine. He began his distinguished career serving in the U.S. Navy in Charleston, South Carolina, before returning home to Alabama, where he cared for generations of families in Fairhope and later in Huntsville.
Those who knew him described Dr. Childs as a man whose professional skill was matched only by his kindness. “He treated every patient as if they were family,” said one longtime colleague. “His compassion was his greatest gift.”
Beyond medicine, Dr. Childs was deeply rooted in his faith and community. A devoted member of Samson First Methodist Church, he shared his love of music by serving for years as the church’s organist and pianist.
He also found joy in the simple pleasures of life—gardening, reading, learning new languages, and caring for animals. Friends and family recall that his gentle nature and love of beauty were reflected in everything he did.
Dr. Childs is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sandra H. Childs of Samson; sons Hoyt A. “Tres” Childs III (Christy) of Huntsville and Thomas Childs (Gladys) of Fort Worth, Texas; grandchildren Abbie, Sarah Kate, Megan, Baylee, and Scott Childs; and siblings Dr. Hayden Childs (Jule), Patricia “Trish” Janasky (Ed), and Dr. Rich Childs (Dr. Mitzi). He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Hoyt Abner Childs, Sr. and Ouida Weekes Childs.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at Samson First Methodist Church, with Julia Gibbs, Rev. Dean Moore, and Rev. Dustin Wise officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens, under the direction of Warren Holloway Ward Funeral Home of Geneva.