Dr. William Blair Craig Lobrano

Doctor William Blair Craig Lobrano passed away peacefully in his home on January 24, 2024. He was born William Blair Craig II on June 27, 1941 in Philadelphia, PA to Dorothy Elizabeth Powell Craig and Blair Craig. A few years later, his father died unexpectedly and his mother then remarried Dr. Charles Marion Lobrano of Centreville, MS.  Upon Dr. Lobrano’s return from service in World War II, the family moved south to Monroe, LA, where Bill grew up and graduated from West Monroe High School in 1959.

Dr. Lobrano attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he graduated with an Industrial Engineering degree in 1964. While there he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. After his graduation, he enrolled in Louisiana State University and obtained his medical degree in 1970. While in medical school, he was elected student body president in his senior year. He was also a captain in the Army National Guard during these years. He then served an internship at Charity Hospital of New Orleans, followed by a Family Practice residency. After He  moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and fell in love with Ocean Springs, where he joined Dr. Louis Rubenstein and practiced medicine for fifty years. They did everything from delivering babies to general surgery at first  but eventually settled on family medicine as new specialists arrived in the area.

Dr. Lobrano took great pleasure in interacting with his patients and getting to know about their lives outside of their illnesses. He felt fortunate to have a job that allowed him to get to know a variety of people. He was interested in all topics and he felt he could learn something new from everyone he met. He was loved and respected by his patients and colleagues and cared deeply for them, as well.

Dr. Lobrano was an Eagle Scout in his youth and grew up  to enjoy trophy  hunting  and   fishing and became a wade fishing aficionado in the Gulf waters on the coast.  However, sailing was his favorite pastime on the water.  He was a history buff and enjoyed traveling the world with his beloved wife, Patricia. After taking his first art class at age 69, he developed a love for painting. His artistic talents had always been evident,  most notably as he designed and built several of his personal homes. Bill was also a romantic at heart, and was a published author of a romance novel, “Azaleas Also Bloom in Winter” under the pseudonym “Abigail Wolff.”

He served for a number of years on the Ocean Springs School Board and was a member of the cemetery committee for the city, and of course multiple medical societies. He was a charter member of the Ocean Springs Yacht Club and in recent years became a member of the Biloxi Yacht Club, where he served as Fleet Surgeon. He was a member of the Krewe of Neptune for many years and enjoyed carnival season in his earlier years.  He was a Life-long avid Saints fan and enjoyed attending games as an original season ticket holder. He had worked in a blood bank after hours during his residency in New Orleans to afford this luxury.  Their Super Bowl win was one of the highlights of his life.

He is survived by his adoring and devoted wife and best friend,  Patricia Fairley Lobrano; five children, Nicole (Rick) Roberts of Covington, LA, Randy (Ann) Lobrano of Houston, TX, Monique (Matthew) Dellenger of Ocean Springs, MS, Norie (Les) Lala of Louisville, KY, Brooke Lobrano (Jay) Ruffin of Ocean Springs, MS; two step-daughters,  Cori (Bryan) Henne  of Ocean Springs, MS, and Kerri (Drew) Cambre of Ocean Springs, MS; fourteen precious grandchildren; his brother, Dr. Charles Marion Lobrano of Long Beach, MS; and many other extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Blair Craig; his mother, Dorothy Elizabeth Powell Lobrano; his loving stepfather, Dr. Charles Marion Lobrano; his brother, Dr. George Emile Lobrano; and his second wife, Gail Wolff Lobrano; as well as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Dr. Lobrano’s time on earth was a life well-lived. He found joy in every moment, big and small. He never met a stranger and  in 82 years, he never had a bad day or a bad mood. He was never in a hurry and was kind and generous to everyone he knew. He enjoyed passing his wisdom on to those he cared about most, and his favorite piece of advice was to “slow down and live life with patience and persistence.” That’s exactly how he lived and he will forever be missed by those that love him.

The family would like to thank Dr. Bill Evans, his neurologist, for always being close by to offer care and support and Dorothy Saad-Dunning, Gloria Kostmayer, and the entire team at Saad Healthcare and Hopsice for taking such excellent care of Dr. Lobrano in his final days.