Neurosurgeon, medical missionary Dr. Charles Branch Sr. dies at 87

Dr. Charles Branch Sr., a Christian neurosurgeon, medical missionary and longtime friend of The Christian Chronicle, died Dec. 6. He was 87.

Branch, a former elder of the MacArthur Park Church of Christ in San Antonio, retired in 2004 after a 40-year career in academic and neurosurgical practice. He was a clinical associate professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

His wife of 60 years, Sylvia Branch, is a member of the Chronicle’s Board of Trustees.

The Branches were active in medical missions, traveling regularly to Nigeria, Haiti and Guyana. Charles Branch served as a vocational minister in Montreal, Quebec, for 15 years.

“Charles and Sylvia Branch have long been strong supporters of The Christian Chronicle, Christian education, the church and everything that advances the cause of Christ,” said Lynn McMillon, the Chronicle’s president and CEO. “Their five children are testimony to the impact that Christian parents can have on the lives of children and their children.”