Dr. Robert FitzSimons Stickley (Dr. Bob), loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on Dec. 2, 2023, at his home in Christiansburg.
Born on Jan. 29, 1951, in Asheville, N.C., he dedicated his life to his family, and to bettering the human condition.
Fortunate to have lived numerous places in his early years while his father was in the Army, his fondest childhood memories were those he made in Greece. Joining the Boy Scouts at this time provided him with many of the moral attributes he carried throughout his life.
Upon returning to the United States in 1967, his family took up roots in Winchester, Va. where he attended James Wood High School. He then went on to study at the University of Virginia for both undergraduate and medical school. During this time, he met the love of his life and wife of 51 years, Sharon, as well as many lifelong friends. After medical school, he completed his residency at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Stickley returned to Virginia, practicing pediatrics in Warrenton with the business he established, Child Health Associates, and then again in Radford with New River Valley Pediatrics. He devoted his life to medicine and was proud to serve the small communities which he chose to call home. He cherished working alongside the myriad doctors, nurses, and medical professionals, all of whom he respected so much, during his rewarding career. Philanthropic by nature, he took it upon himself to mentor UVA nurse practitioners and sponsor medical initiatives in Africa.
With fine woodworking as a passion, he was always eager to design furniture in the Craftsman style for family and friends. As a lifelong British car enthusiast, he often spent long nights in his garage working on his beloved Austin-Healey. When he wasn’t busy as a physician, he loved to take his friends and family traveling to beautiful natural places around the globe.
Dr. Robert FitzSimons Stickley is survived by his wife Sharon Smallridge Stickley, his daughter Anna Stickley Harrison (husband Matthew) of Charlottesville, his son Robert Smallridge Stickley of Richmond, and his son Dr. Samuel FitzSimons Stickley (wife Emily) of Urbana, IL. He shared a special connection with his granddaughter, Emma Lillian Harrison. He is preceded in death by his mother Anne Sabina FitzSimons, for whom he cared deeply. He is survived by his father, Dr. William Sproul Stickley (wife Betty) who instilled in him an industrious mindset and a value for education. He is predeceased by his brother, Edward Lee Stickley. He held his maternal uncle, William Huger FitzSimons, in highest regard, as he did his cousin Jennifer FitzSimons. He also had a special affinity for his in-laws, the Koonce and Smallridge families of Winchester, Virginia, who provided a loving family for him.
Dr. Stickley lived a full, peaceful life and, in every of his endeavors, strove to make the world a better place than he found it. Gracious, loyal, kind, and gentle, he will be missed by all of those who knew him.
A visitation for the local community is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, 4 – 7 p.m., at Mullins Funeral Home in Radford. A celebration of life for friends and family will be held at his home in the summer of 2024. In lieu of flowers, his family kindly asks that you consider donating to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
The Stickley family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford.
