More detail on this person: Memorial services
for Dr. Henry "Hank" Mayer Jr. will be at 11 a.m.
today at the Harker Heights United Methodist
Church. Burial will follow at Central Texas State
Veterans Cemetery.
Dr. Mayer, a military surgeon, dust-off pilot who
flew thousands of life-saving hours in Vietnam,
rancher, sports enthusiast, Army veteran and
community supporter, died unexpectedly May 5,
2015.
He was a resident of the Killeen area for 35 years
and actively involved in many community
activities. During his 30 years in the U.S. Army,
his last assignment included serving as an
orthopedic surgeon and deputy commander of
Darnall Army Medical Center. He received
numerous military awards including the Legion of
Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze
Star Medal.
After his military retirement, he was employed as
an orthopedic surgeon by Kings Daughters Clinic of
Temple for over 20 years. He was a graduate of
Ohio University and Texas Tech University School
of Medicine. He was recruited to the new Texas
Tech University School of Medicine after his
second dust-off tour in Vietnam where he met the
man who was to be its director.
During the last 35 years, Dr. Mayer rarely missed
a Killeen Independent School District football
game. He joined the teams on the field the first
quarter of his first game he attended in fall 1980
and stayed with the teams from then on. He was
the "team Doc" for all of the Killeen ISD athletes
who needed help. He also volunteered with the
Athletic Department of the University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor as the team physician for the last
seven years.
Dr. Mayer was a member of the Killeen Evening
Rotary, a director on the board of the Greater
Killeen Free Clinic, a recipient of the Medicine
Man award in 2009, a Bell County rancher, a
member of Harker Heights United Methodist
Church, Junior Livestock Show supporter and lover
of the outdoors.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Joyce S.
Mayer; son, Brian D. Mayer and his wife, Dr.
Biljana Mikijelj; daughters, Michele L. Woodford,
PA-C and Amanda M. Polson and her husband,
Steve Polson; grandchildren, Kristin Butler and
her husband, Ty, Christopher Woodford, Marina
Lynn Mayer, Taylor Polson and his wife, Emily,
Kaylin Isbell and her husband, Travis, and Ana
Mayer; four great-grandchildren, Hunter Butler,
Braxton Butler, Trigg Isbell and Kyndall Isbell;
one sister, Nancy Capilla and her husband, Bob;
and a cousin, Mary Alice Bliss and her husband,
Elwood.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Foundation in
Belton or the Killeen ISD Educational Foundation
in Killeen.
Visitation was held Thursday at Crawford-Bowers
Funeral Home in Killeen, which is in charge of
arrangements.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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