Sam P. Wyche III, doctor of medicine and mental health advocate, has died at 41
He graduated from Morehouse College and Temple University's medical school, and used his own mental health experiences to help others in need.
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Sam P. Wyche III, 41, of Wyndmoor, a doctor of medicine and lifelong mental health advocate, died Saturday, June 3, of cardiac arrest at Jefferson Frankford Hospital.
Dr. Wyche earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 2004 and a medical degree from Temple University in 2008. He spent a summer in college researching neurobiology at Yale University and began a residency in pathology after Temple at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
He was in the peer helper program as a student at Springfield High School in Montgomery County in the 1990s and later counseled others in Philadelphia and elsewhere regarding mental health treatment. “He built a community,” his family said, even as he navigated his own mental health challenges.
“He was inquisitive, joyful, friendly, caring about family, and dedicated and loyal to his friends,” said his stepmother, Leslie Brown Wyche. His father, Sam P. Wyche Jr., said: “He would talk with anyone about anything. People said he could make friends with anybody.”
His grandmother Frances, mother Roxianne, sisters Kristy and Erin, and best friend all died when Dr. Wyche was younger, and their loss was significant to him. It was that extended period of grief and his lifelong sense of empathy, his father said, that helped fuel Dr. Wyche’s outreach to others.
Even when he had chances to change his circumstances, Dr. Wyche refused to abandon others he knew could benefit from his mental health experiences.
“He could understand why people felt the way they did,” his father said. “He knew what their challenges were.” His stepmother said: “He wanted to show that mental illness can hit anybody, even highly intelligent, highly motivated young men.”
Samuel Phillip Wyche III was born May 17, 1982, in Philadelphia. His family lived in East Norriton and Blue Bell before Wyndmoor, and he grew up around his grandparents, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
He collected baseball cards and model cars, was popular and active in student groups, and played safety on the high school football team. He graduated in 2000 and was a member of the Montgomery County chapter of the Jack and Jill of America leadership organization.
As a young man, Dr. Wyche looked after his siblings and grew especially close to his stepmother. He was so good at art and cooking that the family still talks about his sketches and signature cinnamon buns.
He loved nature and gardening, foraged often for edible plants in Fairmount Park, and had snakes, frogs, and other exotics for pets. He read a lot and took long-distance runs. He always wanted to visit Brazil. So he did.
He married Gladys Varela in 2010, and they lived in Boston during his residency. After a divorce, he moved back to Philadelphia and Wyndmoor. He was partners with Theresa Santa since 2018.
Recently, Dr. Wyche was working to build a neighborhood playground and create urban gardens.
“Sam will be sorely missed and remembered as a fun-loving, deeply caring person,” his family said in a tribute. He was, they said, “always doing for others more than for himself.”
In addition to his father and stepmother, Dr. Wyche is survived by a brother, a sister, and other relatives.
A viewing will be from 8 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 13, at Salem Baptist Church of Abington, 2741 Woodland Rd., Abington, Pa. 19001. A funeral service will follow.
Donations in his name may be made to the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Institutional Advancement, Conwell Hall, 7th Floor, 1801 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19122. Please note Dr. Samuel P. Wyche III on the memo line.