Dr. Richard V. Vines, Sr. died unexpectedly at his home in Monroe, Louisiana on Sunday, April 29, 2018. Affectionately known as Doc to his family and friends, he went to Heaven to be with his Lord and Savior, and the love of his life, Joy Blume Vines, his wife of 65 years.Doc was born in Westlake, Louisiana on March 7, 1929 to parents, Hoyt Vines and Aileen Anderson Vines. He was raised during the Depression and World War II. Hearing Doc stories of his childhood was like hearing a combination of The Waltons, The Andy Griffith Show and It A Wonderful Life all rolled up into one small town life.Doc was a Boy Scout and spent his summers as a life guard at the Boy Scout Camp. He was Valedictorian of Westlake High School and an outstanding basketball player in high school and college. LSU Coach Harry Ravenhorst saw him play in the State basketball tournament and offered him a basketball scholarship to LSU, but only if he played his first two years with McNeese State. Doc already had his sights set on medical school and did not want the disruption of his education that changing colleges would create. Instead, Doc accepted a basketball scholarship to Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now the University of Louisiana – Lafayette. He lettered all four years. As a true scholar athlete, Doc graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry, and was admitted to the LSU Medical School in New Orleans, graduating in 1954.Dr. Vines served our country as a medical doctor, with the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. Dr. Vines and Joy Vines returned to LSU Medical School in New Orleans to begin his medical residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, where his training culminated with Dr. Vines being selected as the Chief Resident of the LSU Medical School service at Big Charity. Dr. Vines chose OB-GYN as his specialty because he was allowed daily to be a part of the happiest time in his patient life when delivering children into this world.Dr. Vines was one of the founding members of The Woman Clinic delivering hundreds of babies at St. Francis Hospital and Glenwood Hospital. Dr. Vines was Board Certified in his OB-GYN medical practice, and was recognized by LSU Medical School for his fifty years of medical practice. He was affectionately known on the delivery floors as The Gentle Giant. Dr. Vines loved his chosen field of medicine. He always said it was an honor and privilege to be his patient doctor and he took that responsibility very seriously. The family remembers him often sitting at the kitchen table, late at night, looking through medical journals searching for new medical discoveries and procedures to help his patients.Dr. Vines also was one of a group of physicians to see the need for an outpatient surgical center and helped open the Northeast Louisiana Surgical Hospital, which is now The P & S Surgical Hospital. Dr. Vines also served as an Associate Professor for the LSU Medical School, training its OB-GYN medical residents placed in northeast Louisiana hospitals. For many years, Dr. Vines went to Conway Hospital on his day off and taught colposcopy to the LSU Residents.Despite a busy medical practice, Doc was never too tired when he came home to give time and loving care to his family. Hitting grounders and basketball practice was always in order for his children. Driving the boat so his children and their friends could water ski was always the thing in the summertime. And with his grandchildren he was a proud fan along with Joy at almost all of their sporting events. Doc and Joy attendance was so faithful that the teammates of the grandchildren called them Mimi and Doc just like the grandchildren.Although Dr. Vines retired many years ago, he came out of his retirement to care for one more patient: the love of his life and wife, Joy Vines, coaxing Joy through her valiant battle with esophageal cancer and the rigors of chemo-radiation therapy. The family believes the only reason they had their mother for her last three years was due to the extraordinary and loving care she received from Doc. The family saw played out in real life the marriage vows of . . . for better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. Doc never wavered in his care and love of Joy and is with her once again.Dr. Vines loved to read and study history, particularly the battles in the Pacific in WWII. He was an avid deer hunter, always with his friends along the Mississippi River at the old Hogue Island Club and the Southpoint Hunting Club.Dr. Vines was predeceased by his parents, Hoyt and Aileen Vines; his brother, Dr. Donald H. Vines; and sisters Francis Vines Hopkins and Janelle Vines Davis. Dr. Vines is survived by his youngest sister, Janette Vines Cochran. He is also survived by his children, Cathy Vines Hurd, and husband Paul Loy Hurd; Dr. Richard V. Vines, II and his wife Melissa Ray Vines; and Kenneth Gus Vines and his wife Doll Johnston Vines; his grandchildren, Dr. Paul Loy Hurd, II and his wife Jessica Porambo Hurd; Anderson Matthew Bam Hurd, and his fiance Polly Henderson; David Patrick Hurd, and his wife Rachel Byrd Hurd; Richard V. Vines, III and Claire Eileen Vines; step-grandchildren, Bailey Holyfield Wells and husband Sterling Guy Wells, and Ainsley Doll Holyfield; and one great grandson, Jefferson Paul Hurd; and numerous nieces and nephews.Special guests of the family include Mrs. Madge Moore, Mr. Tom Hutson, and his wife, Nelda Hudson, Mr. Jim Goldman, and his wife Candi Goldman, Mr. James McLemore and his wife Marguerite McLemore, the physicians and staff of The Woman Clinic, and his hunting friends from the old Hogue Island Hunting Club, and the members of the Southpoint Hunting Club.The family would like to thank Dr. Ron Koepke and Dr. Gregory Green for their care and support of Dr. Vines in his recent health difficulties.The pallbearers will be Doc grandsons, Richard V. Vines, III, Dr. Paul Loy Hurd, II, Anderson Matthew Hurd and David Patrick Hurd, joined by Doc nephews, Dr. Chuck Cochran and Bobby Herman.Dr. Vines and his family have been members of Parkview Baptist Church for over 50 years. Memorials can be made to Louisiana Baptist Children Home or Parkview Baptist ChurchA visitation for Dr. Vines will be held from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Parkview Baptist Church in Monroe followed by a celebration of Dr. Vines life at 1:30 P.M., Thursday, at Parkview Baptist Church.