Dr. Charles A. Shoultz

It was a bright, clear morning when Dr. Charles Shoultz, 87, died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on Thursday, January 23rd. He was a loving husband, beloved father of six, grandfather of thirteen, and great-grandfather of three. 

A Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 28, at Saint Louis Catholic Church, 2001 North 25th Street, Waco, with burial following at Oakwood Cemetery. Please join the family for a Rosary and visitation at 5:00 p.m., Monday, January 27th, in the chapel of Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Boulevard, Waco. 

Born Charles Arthur Shoultz August 28, 1937, in Houston, Texas, to Dr. Charles Albert Shoultz and Ann Amy Stevens Shoultz, he grew up in Bay City, Texas. The South Texas landscape shaped his love of nature and the outdoors. He and his younger brother, Roy Stevens Shoultz, were high-spirited youths, roaming the rivers and beaches of Matagorda County. Together, they water-skied on the Colorado River, crabbed in Caney Creek, and generally engaged in mischief throughout the county. Childhood friend George Pinckney ("Peeper") Hardy III often tagged along on their misadventures. Hardy remembers Charles's prized possession, a 16-foot Yellowjacket wooden speedboat with a 55-horsepower motor, which he maintained himself. 

A graduate of Bay City High School, Charles ran the 440 in track and was named All-County Defensive End as part of the Bay City Black Cat football squad. While in school, he met the love of his life, Shirley Anne Lenderman, a pretty blonde girl he noticed in his brother's typing class. The two wed in 1958, and this February 1st would have been their 67th anniversary. They both graduated from the University of Texas, where Charles received a degree in chemistry. Charles and Shirley met their lifelong friends, Natalie and Don Risinger, during this time. 

After college, like his father, Dr. Shoultz attended and graduated from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1964. His postgraduate training included an internship at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, a residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and finally a cardiology fellowship at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver. Dr. Shoultz also shared his love of medicine with doctors-in-training, accepting teaching appointments at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and the Texas A&M University Health Science Center. 

Dr. Shoultz served as a medical officer and major in the U.S. Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. Shortly after, his close friend and fellow Longhorn, Dr. Donald Risinger, urged him to visit Waco, a town in need of a cardiologist. He moved his family, then with five children, and founded Waco Cardiology Associates in 1971, reportedly with only a desk, a phone, and one nurse. He worked for three years without a partner until Dr. Wayne Falcone joined him; the two men forged a dear friendship that endured their whole lives. They were later joined by Dr. William Richard Cashion and the late Dr. Brian Aynesworth, whose memory and legacy remained rooted in the heart of the group long after his untimely death. Later, Dr. Shoultz's son, Charles Shoultz III, joined the practice, which now includes 12 partners, all of whom referred to Dr. Shoultz as "Pa Shoultz." 

Dr. Shoultz directed both the Providence Health Center Cardiology Department and the Hillcrest Medical Center Cardiology Department. He was president of the McLennan County Medical Society and a member of the Texas Club of Internists. He was a recipient of the most prestigious honor the medical society bestows, the Gold-Headed Cane Award, which is voted on by its members. Dr. Shoultz retired in December 2018 after 47 years of practice. 

Dr. Shoultz was more than an accomplished cardiologist. He led a rich life and was deeply fulfilled not just professionally but also personally, spiritually, and in his family life. There was never a call he didn’t take. He shared his love of skiing, which he took up in his fifties, and fly-fishing in Big Sky, Montana, with his grandchildren. In his seventies, he traveled to Chile for a fishing trip with his close friends Dr. Eddie Morrison, Dr. Don Lewis, and Sam Nay. He didn’t love the fishing, but he lived for the camaraderie with friends in nature. 

Dr. Shoultz was a devout Catholic and served as president of the school board of Bishop Reicher Catholic High School. He was a member of the Knights of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Along with Dr. Falcone, Dr. Shoultz coached a winning soccer team and ultimately founded the Waco Girls Soccer Association. He coined the motto: "Unbeaten, untied, seldom scored on." They proved to be prophetic words. 

For his children, he was always present, available, and attentive. Though he worked literally day and night on a regular basis, he always made time for his children and grandchildren. His loss is profound to them. 

Dr. Shoultz established cardiology outreach clinics in the surrounding communities of Central Texas. Along with Dr. Falcone, Dr. R.W. Crosthwaite, and Dr. Rob Angel, he laid the foundation for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in Central Texas. He enjoyed working in these small towns, and if his patients could not pay a bill, he was known to accept payment in peaches, tomatoes, or meat from a local ranch. 

In more recent years, Dr. Shoultz and Shirley looked forward to their monthly Supper Club with the same friends who traveled and went bird-hunting with him. After retirement, he participated in a Bible Study at the encouragement of his friend, Wes Bailey. 

Dr. Shoultz is survived by his wife, Shirley Lenderman Shoultz; his mother-in-law, Winifred Lenderman; and his brother-in-law, Gary Lenderman, as well as his children Shirley Suzanne (Suzy) and her husband Lewis Pollok; Martha Jane and her husband Nelson Arroyo; Charles Albert and his wife Fransara Falsone Shoultz; Amy Elizabeth, PhD; Laura Kathleen (Katy) and her husband Brett Moore; and Michael Scott (Scotty) and his wife Karla Cruz Shoultz. He is also survived by grandchildren Charles (Chip), Sara Shoultz Henley, MD, and her husband Carson, DDS, Rebecca and Emma Shoultz; Spike and Mimi Pollok, Laura and Max Arroyo; Alexandra, Astrid, and Mila Shoultz; step-grandchildren Tristan and Brianna Moore; as well as great-grandchildren Virginia and Winnie Henley, and Jackson Pollok. 

The family would like to thank Beni Lupu and Lucy Lupu for their loving care over the last year, as well as the incredible staff members who worked with Dr. Shoultz over the years at Hillcrest and Providence Hospitals and Waco Cardiology, especially Brenda Pippin, Andrea Fulp, Debbie Kucera, and Catherine Maler. More than anything, we would like to thank the patients whom Dr. Shoultz cared for and who, in turn, cared for him in many ways. 

Pallbearers will be Dr. Wayne Falcone, Dr. Donald Risinger, Walker Lee, Dr. Don Lewis, Brian Aynesworth, Dr. Eddie Morrison, Roy Collazo, and Wes Bailey. 

Honorary pallbearers will be Mercer Buchanan, Greg Taggart, Ken Schaeffer, Dr. Gary Barbin, and Luke Jessen. 

Memorial donations may be made to Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic School or Catholic Charities of Central Texas. 

The family invites you to leave a message or memory in Dr. Shoultz’s "Memorial Guestbook " at www.WHBfamily.com.