George Terrell Singleton, M.D.'s Obituary
George Terrell Singleton, M.D., a pioneering Otolaryngologist whose life was a testament to boundless curiosity, quiet strength, and an unyielding passion for healing, adventure, and family, died peacefully in Gainesville, Florida, on January 31, 2026, at the age of 98. Loved by many, he left behind a legacy woven from threads of compassion, intellect, and joy - much like the intricate family quilts he mischievously deconstructed as a child while horse playing with his sister.
Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, to Dr. George T. Singleton Sr., a dedicated family physician, and Mary Lillian Fain Singleton, he grew up in a close-knit family who valued hard work, resourcefulness, and community. He’d often recall the Depression years and how his father's patients paid in barter - chickens, eggs, or even a cantankerous goat that devoured his mother's prized rose bushes.
His childhood summers were spent on family farms in East Texas. His days were filled with spirited adventures that revealed his playful nature, learning to plow behind a mule, racing washtubs in stock tanks, and earning the nickname "City Slicker" after a shocking encounter with an electric fence. These rural exploits sparked a lifelong love for the outdoors and a resourceful spirit that echoed through his career and family life.
George's affinity for medicine was a natural extension of his father’s path. After attending Wichita Falls High School, Hardin College, and Southern Methodist University, he earned his M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in 1954. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology at Henry Ford Hospital in 1958 and received a National Institute of Health fellowship at the University of Chicago in 1960. He served as an M.D. at the U.S. Army Hospital in Fort Sill, Oklahoma from 1958-1960 in the U.S. Army reserves, achieving the rank of Captain.
In 1961, he and his wife Jackie, moved to Gainesville with their three young children. Dr. Singleton founded and served as the Chief, Division of Otolaryngology, that would later become the Otolaryngology Department (Ear, Nose, and Throat) at the University of Florida's Shands Hospital - the first of its kind in the Southeast.
A dedicated surgeon and clinician, he was adored by his patients and young doctors in training, many of whom went on to establish their own distinguished careers in medicine. He mentored his students with exceptional teaching acumen and a love of people that benefited generations. As Chief of Staff and Interim Director, he negotiated with the State Legislature to lay the political and financial groundwork for the hospital's future expansion, transforming it into the world-class institution it is today.
Other awards and accomplishments include the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Research Award (1960), the H.P. Mosher Memorial Award of Triological Society (1967), Chief of Staff & Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs – University of Florida College of Medicine (1970-1976), and the President’s Honor Award – Physician of the Year – Florida Society of Otolaryngology (1990). He also served as the President of the Alachua County Medical Society. He was a lifetime member of the President’s Council of the University of Florida. He served as interim chair of the department from 2001 to 2004.
In 2007, he received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Florida for his significant contributions to the medical profession and the Department of Otolaryngology. He retired in 2011 from UF Health as a Professor Emeritus, testament to a storied career that spanned over 50 years.
When not in the hospital teaching, seeing patients, or operating, he was an avid outdoor sportsman. A man of many varied talents, from research to "fixing ears" in the operating room to playing baseball, basketball, and golf (which he played into his 90s), and a spirited life on the water. Family outings became his classroom. He taught us sailing, water skiing, fishing, scalloping, throwing cast nets, camping, archery, golf, dove and quail hunting with pointers Rip and Don.
An intrepid explorer and sportsman, he pursued great adventures across the globe. He hunted Dall sheep north of the Arctic Circle, tracked grizzly bears on Alaska's Aleutian Islands, fly-fished for brown trout on New Zealand's South Island, and chased giant tarpon on Oklahoma Flats off the Chassahowitzka River. As one child reflected, the outdoors soothed souls through life's ups and downs, a gift from their father.
As an entrepreneur, he was a founding member of the Gainesville State Bank that was acquired in 1998 by BBVA Compass Bank. George was a great provider - not just for his family, but for friends, patients, Shands, and the University of Florida – “living two full lives,” as he often said.
After Jackie's death in 1997, he married Linda Lewis Lewallen of Gainesville, embarking on a new chapter that added her grown children to the family and bringing him 28 years of deep companionship and happiness. George and Linda would travel the world together to explore new adventures and later spend countless summers golfing with their blended family at Wildcat Cliffs Country Club in Highlands, North Carolina. Always in pursuit of a lower handicap, George owned more golf clubs than most PGA tour professionals. A man of gentle humor, keen intellect, and boundless generosity, he embodied integrity and kindness. He left a trail for others to follow, as Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”
He was an Elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville. Later in life, he continued to deepen his faith through Bible study and inspired his family to love and trust in God.
He was predeceased by his wife Jaqueline Green Singleton (Jackie) of 46 years and his sister, Mary Elizabeth Cullum (Landon) of Wichita Falls, Texas. He is survived by his beloved wife, Linda, his three children from his first marriage, Marsha Wallace (Tom), Tom Singleton (Bridgett), and Bob Singleton, his three stepchildren, Colonel Steve Lewallen, USMC (Ret) (Wendy), Hays Lewallen (Pam), and Amy Lewallen Hartley (Brian), numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren and his brother, Dr. Earl Singleton (Beverly) of Raleigh, North Carolina, and a wide circle of extended family and friends.
A celebration of life will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, February 7th at the First Presbyterian Church located at 106 SW 3rd Street, Gainesville, Florida. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the University of Florida Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 14425, Gainesville, Florida, 32604 or online at the University of Florida Foundation for Otolaryngology, George T. Singleton M.D. Professorship (004457) or to the First Presbyterian Church of Gainesville.
May his memory be a blessing, inspiring us to live with the same curiosity, resilience, and love that defined him.
The family would also like to thank the staff at Oak Hammock Skilled Nursing and Community Hospice and Palliative Care for their compassion and care during the past year.
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