Obituaries

Rev. Dr. Herbert Benjamin Wren III

Photo of Rev. Dr. Herbert  Benjamin  Wren III
Rev. Dr. Herbert Benjamin Wren III, 87, died on Tuesday March 15 at his home in Texarkana, AR. He was born February 4, 1929 in Shreveport, La. He practiced general and thoracic surgery at Collom and Carney Clinic from 1962 until his surgical retirement in 1994, and was director of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) from 1987 to 1995, starting the family practice residency training program in 1993. He and his wife Jean started the Sugar Hill United Methodist Church in the same year. He is survived by his children, Allan & Amy Wren, Steve & Peggy Wren and Dr. Mark & Carla Wren, all of Texarkana, one daughter Claire Wren-Russ of Los Angeles, CA, one sister, Harriett Autrey of Texarkana, nine grandchildren, Kelsey Wren-Kuhn and Collin Kuhn, Georgia Wren-Russ, Lucas Wren, Hannah Wren, Hunter Wren-Russ, Carter Wren, Haylee Wren, Grant Adams, Garrett Adams and numerous other nieces, nephews, cousins and friends too numerous to count. Dr. Wren attended Tulane University on a football scholarship in 1947. He then attended Tulane Medical School, completing his degree in 1954, when he married Jean Atkinson, his wife of 59 years, who preceded him in death in 2013. Dr. Wren completed an internship at the University of Colorado, and then served in the U.S. Navy as a general medical officer from 1955-57. After a general surgery residency and cardiothoracic fellowship at Tulane, he returned to practice in Texarkana in 1962. His mentors at Tulane included the world famous heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey, Dr. Alton Oschner, and Dr. Oscar Creech. In 1998, Tulane selected Dr. Wren for the C. D. Taylor Award, the most prestigious award for community service among all Tulane Medical Alumni and named for its President. He was adjunct faculty at UAMS teaching surgical residents twice monthly under support of renowned surgeon Dr. Mas Harah. He was also adjunct faculty of LSU in Shreveport for several years. Over the years he served as chief of staff of both Wadley and Saint Michael's hospitals, and was instrumental in forming one of the most harmonious collaborative relationships among community hospitals in all of Arkansas or Texas, including the Cancer Registry, to track cancer occurrence in the region. He formed the first intensive care units (ICU) in Texarkana, to better serve critical care needs of Texarkana, and repaired the first successful abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture. Along with Dr. John Griffin, he implanted the first pacemaker in Texarkana. Early in his career, he created the first vascular lab for study of peripheral vascular disease. On one amazing occasion, he rode on the train to New Orleans with a patient with a traumatic ventricular septal defect needing urgent repair at Tulane. He was accepted into one of the most prestigious surgical associations in the country, The Southern Surgical Society. Dr. Wren had an incredible passion for education. In his efforts to launch a family practice residency program for young doctors and establish several allied health curricula while at the AHEC, he personally met and received support of then governor George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Dr. Wren was president of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, Salvation Army, Texarkana Arkansas School Board, and loyal member of Texarkana Kiwanis Club. He was awarded the Palmer Award by The Chamber of Commerce. He served as Texarkana Arkansas Police Chaplain for many years. He served on boards of numerous organizations including Twin City Bank, Morgan Plan Loans, & Coca Cola Bottling Company of Magnolia, AR. He loved all sports, ranching, and fishing and was honored to serve as the Razorback team doctor for over 35 years, rarely missing a game. Dr. Herb and Jean established the Herbert and Jean Wren Fighting Heart Memorial Scholarship to foster a "fighting heart" attitude in the students in their lives beyond high school athletics. He was asked by the Bishop of the United Methodist Church to establish a church on the north side of Texarkana. He was the pastor of Sugar Hill United Methodist Church for 5 years, and Pastor Emeritus for the past 17 years. The family will receive friends from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Friday, March 18th at the Texarkana Funeral Home, AR Loop 245. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 19th at the Sugar Hill United Methodist Church with Rev. Greg Burks officiating. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Park under the direction of Texarkana Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers please send Memorials to the Alzheimer's Alliance Tri State, 100 Memory Lane, Texarkana, TX, 75503 or Sugar Hill Methodist Church, 1621 Sugar Hill Rd., Texarkana, AR, 71854.

Published March 17, 2016

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