Kelly Tucker, M.D., ’85

Kelly Rush Dr. Kelly Rush Tucker, 63, died Friday June 7, 2019, from stage four renal cell carcinoma. Kelly was born December 16, 1955 to Rev. Lewis Edwin Tucker and Ethel Kring Godbey Tucker (Rosie) in Orange, Texas. The family lived in several different east Texas towns during Kelly’s childhood as Rev. Tucker, a United Methodist preacher, served churches in Dickenson, Center and others. Kelly played the trumpet in the marching band at Pearland High School, graduated in 1974, and went to the University of Houston where he also was a member of the marching band. He graduated from UH with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

After working in a research laboratory at UTHealth in Houston for a while, Kelly applied to and was accepted into McGovern Medical School. During the summer between first and second years in medical school, Kelly continued to work in the lab of physiologist Dr. Frank Booth. It was in 1981 that he met his life’s love, Jenny Lynn Cravey, a research technologist in another lab. They married June 17, 1983 in Houston, Texas and honeymooned in Grande Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Shortly before his graduation from medical school in 1985, their first child, Kristopher, was born. Kelly and Jenny stayed in Houston while Kelly completed a Family Medicine Residency Program through Southwest Memorial Hospital. In February of 1988 their second child, Heather, was born. That summer Kelly’s residency was complete and the family packed up to move to Llano, Texas.

Kelly, and close friends Dr. John Frederick and Dr. Janice Pruessner, joined the Hoerster Clinic partnership of family medicine doctors. In December of 1991 Jenny gave birth to their third child, Clare. Immediately upon moving to Llano, the Tuckers joined Lutie Watkins Memorial United Methodist Church. The kids (and Jenny) were active in the Logos program, and Kelly began his lifetime participation in the church choir. He loved music and enjoyed singing, especially in the Christmas Cantatas and Concerts for Epiphany. Kelly and Jenny both enjoyed the outdoors and took the family camping and hiking as often as they could, often with their longtime friends Mark and Sheryl Millsap and kids, or Janice Pruessner and John Frederick and their kids. Kelly was also a rocketry and NASA space program enthusiast, collecting and building model rockets in his spare time. In addition, he loved fireworks and started making his own several years ago. He looked forward to indulging his hobbies further in retirement.

Kelly continued to practice medicine over 30 years, as the Hoerster Clinic became the Scott & White Hoerster Clinic, and eventually the Baylor Scott & White Hoerster Clinic. Kelly is pre-deceased by his parents, Lewis and Rosie, and by his older brother Lewis Edwin Tucker Jr., known to family as Bo. Kelly is survived by his wife of 36 years, Jenny, and his children: son Kristopher Tucker of Austin, daughter Heather Tucker and daughter-in-law Ruby Tucker of Portland, Oregon, and daughter Clare Tucker Bretton and son-in-law Will Bretton of Austin, as well as his sister Claudia Mansbridge of Llano. Between Kelly and Jenny there are many nieces and nephews and family members on both sides whom they love and treasure.