Dr. Robert Lewis Ricks
04/25/1932 - 08/06/2020
Live streaming of Funeral Service will be on Alfonso Dawson Facebook page.
Public Viewing: Monday, August 10, 2020, 2:00 - 7:00 pm Alfonso Dawson Mortuary 3000 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Atlanta, GA 30311
Dr. Robert Lewis Ricks transitioned from this life on Thursday evening, August 6, 2020. He was born April 25, 1932, to the late Charles Ballard and Helen Bolton Ricks in Atlanta, Georgia. Robert graduated from Washington High in Atlanta, GA. He later attended Howard University where he earned his medical degree and graduated in 1962. His education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct earned him a membership to the Fellow American College of Surgeons. For many years, he dedicated himself to a life of healing. After graduating from Clark College in 1956, he went on to Atlanta University to complete a Master’s Degree in Biology. By then, he had a wife and a baby daughter. Concerned about supporting his family, he went down to Emory University because they were hiring young men to sweep. While applying for the job, the person seeing his application told him about programs that helped young black scholars to attend medical school. Sadly, due to the Jim Crow laws he could not attend in Georgia, so he applied to Howard University and was awarded a full scholarship. By 1960, he received his medical school match and was awarded an internship at Bakersville General Hospital. After completing his internship, he was awarded his residency at UCI Medical Center where he was distinguished by his attending physician and peers to Chief of Obstetrics. He was one of the first Black gynecologist in Georgia. He later moved with his family to Atlanta where he opened the first Wanawake Medical Clinic. His practice was located in the Historic West End district of Atlanta and later partnered with three other physicians to provide services to underrepresented women in Newnan, Georgia. He also volunteered to mentor young men at Morehouse College. All this was inspired by his grandmother, Pathenia Ireland who was a midwife for 50 years and took him along to assist her. Dr. Ricks loved to travel. He considered himself a global citizen. The world had no boundaries or borders through his lenses. He traveled to 18 countries in his lifetime and happily shared stories and pictures of the people, cultures and lifestyles of those people he met in remote places. He would often travel alone. He believed that everyone had an interesting story to tell. He loved books and held an eidetic memory for historical facts and dates. He loved to hear a good story. Dr. Ricks married Essie Alexander in 1955, and they divorced in 1968. From this union three children were born; one daughter, Melodie Ricks-Landry (Janice); and two sons, Robert Van Ricks and Quinton Ricks (Donnell); one granddaughter, Jabesh Davis; one great-granddaughter, Lorin Davis, great grandson, Jacob Davis and a host of cousins in California, Beacon, New York and Atlanta, GA. Special thanks to his angels that took care of him and helped to make his transition beautiful, Patricia Henderson, supervisor, Brianna White, and Loretta Haynes. We are deeply grateful for their kindness and support.