Dr. Anthony Forsythe Titus

With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Dr. Anthony “Tony” Forsythe Titus, who passed away unexpectedly on Friday, July 3, 2020 at 61. A beloved father and immensely dedicated emergency room physician, Tony’s adventure began on December 3, 1958 in Tacoma, WA, where he was born to Frank and Addie (née Price) Titus.

As a military brat, he was fortunate to spend time all over the world, including kindergarten in Japan. The spirit of travel, a taste for new experiences and a love of sushi never left him, and he worked hard to show his own sons the world and cultivate a lifelong passion for learning. He sent them off to school every day with the mantra to “learn something, listen to your teacher and do something nice.”

While growing up in Dayton, OH, Tony (then known by his original alias: Twister) was famous for his mischievous wit. His antics ran the gamut from tall tales and general mayhem with his buddy Stevie to regularly tricking his little sister into carrying his books home from school. During his early teen years, Tony worked as a newsboy and later as a stock boy at Rike’s Department Store, demonstrating from a young age the amazing work ethic characteristic of his life. He always carried love for his family home in Ohio, possibly because it was the only place to get Skyline Chili.

Later in life and with a family in tow, his adventure continued in Park City, UT, a place he cherished. He loved skiing, mountain biking and exploring nature’s wonders, especially Yellowstone, Moab and Zion National Parks. Park City remembers Tony for his amazing lawn mowing skills. He was a memorable sight suited up in his Army boots and crazy sunglasses, running in the yard while he mowed – a new neighbor even tried to hire him to cut her lawn because she thought he was the ‘wacky lawn guy.’ The only things he seemed to enjoy more than mowing were snow blowing and scaring the local children at Halloween with a platter of salad, some red food coloring and a battery-operated moving hand.

A proud graduate of Purdue and Wright State's School of Medicine, Tony was living proof that a great doctor is defined by personal values and a dedication to healing. He won awards for patient care and always carried thank-you notes from patients as a reminder of the impact and importance of his work. Despite his long hours, it was always important to Tony to be there for his kids. He was known for Tony McMuffins, packing some of the best school lunches around and never missing an extracurricular event. Tony’s indomitable spirit and infinite love remain with us and are reflected in our every smile and every act of kindness. Thank you to our dad, brother, partner and friend for a lifetime of lessons that ended too soon.

Tony is survived by the mother of his children, Lisa White; his sons, Nicholas, Graham and Gabriel; his three older brothers Frank II, Timothy (Mary) and Jonathan (Christa); and his younger sister, Lisa. He was a proud and supportive uncle to eight nieces and nephews: Frank III, Melissa, Ashley, Lauren, Trevor, Alexys, Ian and Alex. He leaves behind trusted friends, including Dr. Ben Buchanan, treasured colleagues and numerous patients whose lives he helped with his expertise, compassion and dedication. Tony was preceded by his father and mother.

Public visitation will be held from 1-1:45 pm on Tuesday, July 14 at Hall-Wynne Funeral Service in Durham, NC. A memorial service will follow in the Chapel of Hall-Wynne at 2:00 pm. The memorial will conclude with a private family cremation.

View the Service: Livestream Link

Gifts in Tony’s memory may be made to the Emergency Medicine Foundation (online at www.emfoundation.org or by mail: EMF, 4950 W Royal Lane Irving, TX 75063-2524) or to the American Childhood Cancer Organization (online at www.acco.org or by mail: ACCO, P.O. Box 498, Kensington, MD 20895-0498).