Treva Beaufort Watkins Tyson, MD

Treva was born in the Old Rex Hospital to Jean Currin Watkins and Charles Garman Watkins. Growing up in Raleigh Treva attended St. Timothy’s School, Ravenscroft and St. Mary’s School before heading to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue a BS in chemistry. Treva’s curiosities about science in general and chemistry in particular can be traced to her days at St. Mary’s but were more sharply focused once she matriculated at UNC. Even in what was at the time one of the premier chemistry departments in the country, Treva’s acumen was quickly recognized by her freshman year professors and by her sophomore year she was tapped as a teaching and lab section assistant.

After early graduation and a stint as a bench scientist at the Burroughs Welcome Co., Treva was accepted to the medical school at Carolina where she graduated with distinction. “UNC Lifer” status attached when she made the decision to turn down many other offers and remain in Chapel Hill after a residency position was offered in the Internal Medicine Program.

Always animated by the diverse challenges of the profession, Treva sought out work in the Emergency Department at the Siler City Hospital whenever her rigorous residency schedule would allow. Upon completion of her residency in 1991 Treva accepted a position as a staff physician at the Lincoln Community Health Center in Durham. Treva would later say that the clinical experiences gained working for both Lincoln and the Siler City ER were invaluable in widening the scope of her capabilities and refining her knowledge of disease and injury.

Treva was extended an offer to join the physicians of Wake Internal Medicine and in 1995 made the decision to return to her hometown. Her unflagging fortitude and determination stood her in good stead as the first female member of the Wake Internal group. Over the years she gained the respect and admiration of her fellow physicians and employees. She was selected to serve on the practice Executive Committee and was able in this formalized capacity to help shape the contours of the group’s expansion and day-to-day functions.

In Treva’s two-decade tenure at WIM she touched the lives of so many patients and staff members. She was a demanding but caring boss that would brook no nonsense yet was quick to laugh or extend her thanks or an empathetic hand. She was a zealous advocate for her patients and would work tirelessly to aid them in navigating the complex and often confusing maze that is the modern healthcare delivery system. Her dedicated and compassionate approach earned her undying loyalty from her patients, many of whom can still recount stories of their care at the hands of Dr. T.

While working at WIM Treva also served as a Primary Investigator for Wake Research Associates, a pharmaceutical clinical research organization. In this capacity she oversaw the clinical trials of drugs in their final phases of testing prior to coming to market.

In the winter of 1983 Treva was looking for a respite from the grind of pre-med studies and undergraduate life. She enrolled in a SCUBA Diving class at the Chapel Hill YMCA where she met her future husband David who was team teaching the program. Upon conclusion of the course the two started dating.

In the summer of 1988, they took the vows of marriage in the Chapel at St. Mary’s. Their iron bond of love and mutual respect yielded an enduring union that survived the stresses of a two-career household.

The years 1994 and 1998 saw the birth of the couple’s two girls, oldest daughter Treva Hunter and youngest daughter Hannah Meriwether. The two girls were sources of endless pride for Treva as she enjoyed their many academic, athletic, and creative accomplishments, most recently Hunter’s selection to head the group of candidates in her Basic Law Enforcement Training Class and completing three years as a Patrol Officer on the Carrboro police force, and Hannah’s completion of her Masters Degree in Management at North Carolina State University, and winning first prize for her crochet work at the State Fair.

Treva loved sports. A rabid Tarheel, she was most passionate about the men’s basketball team and virtually all the women’s sports programs. She was also a stalwart Carolina Hurricanes fan, sharing that passion with her hockey maven daughter Hunter first, and later with slower developing fans Hannah and David. Of course, no passionate college or pro team booster could match the fervor with which Treva cheered on her daughters at their athletic contests. From CASL soccer to Lacrosse at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardinal Gibbons, and Lynchburg College, there certainly must be referees that to this day sport scar tissue from Treva’s high decibel lacerating critiques of missed and incorrect calls on the field. Treva found that her hobby of photography came in handy as she could use the “photographer card” to gain access to the field and thus move her commentary closer to the target. Treva cherished her opportunity to work as an assistant to the Lourdes girls lacrosse coach, Laurie Huger. As an assistant coach she thoroughly enjoyed working with the young girls shaping their skills and conditioning. She could manage to smile even when the exercise descended to the cat herding phase, and as an added benefit of course, coaches are afforded even closer access to the refs…

Treva loved to travel. First with David on SCUBA diving vacations to the Caribbean, California, and Central America; later she planned family ski vacations to western locals, summer and spring trips to Hawaii, Yellowstone, Alaska and Costa Rica. She would also take her daughters on trips separately, Hunter on a tour of the Pacific Northwest and Canada as well as a medical missionary trip to Ecuador, Hannah on a trip to the UK tracing ancestors and to Costa Rica for an ecotourism adventure.

Treva planned the couple’s final trip together, a wonderful tour of Iceland mere weeks before her passing. Treva was an adventurous explorer to the very end.

Closer to home Treva liked to boat, fish, and explore the coastal areas near her beach home in Pine Knoll Shores. On the rare day when she wanted to just idle the engines back a bit, she would sit on the beach and take an occasional swim in the warm emerald waters of the Crystal Coast.

In western North Carolina, Treva loved a good hike on the many trails around the Ashe County area. Canoeing or floating down the New River or just enjoying a quiet afternoon reading in her hammock, were pleasant pastimes while at her home in Crumpler.

Whether in the eastern or western extremes of our state, or somewhere in the middle, Treva was rarely out of the company of the family dogs. Luke, the first family Yellow Lab, Rey, Luke’s successor, or Maysie the ShihTzu mix that the family adopted after Hannah discovered her abandoned behind a dumpster, Treva was the family canine trainer and caretaker. Despite her sometimes tough love discipline the dogs always responded to her and craved her attentions.

Treva had numerous creative passions: she loved gardening, sewing, and throwing pots with Hannah, taking dance, photography, and photoshop classes, or doing Yoga. She was truly a life-long learner.

In 2008 the arc of Treva’s life was indelibly altered by a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. All around her then, as now, had an abiding respect for her tenacity, fortitude, and indomitable spirit. If anyone questioned those characteristics, her decision to continue her practice while recovering from surgery, undergoing chemo and radiation therapies, was dispositive.

In 2015 after six years “in the clear” Treva’s cancer returned and she came to the inevitable conclusion that she could no longer continue her practice and, in absolutely characteristic form, wishing no hoopla surrounding her departure, effectively folded her tents and made a quick exit, to the astonishment of many.

Nine years later Treva has authored the final chapter in her too short but extremely dense book. Having endured over one hundred chemotherapy sessions, several surgeries and procedures, she now rests. The endeavor to manage her disease is peacefully concluded and we are all left with our warm and loving memories of the extraordinarily bright and lovely Treva.

Treva is survived by her husband David Tyson, her daughter Treva Hunter Tyson of Chapel Hill, her daughter Hannah Meriwether Tyson of Raleigh, her sister Ava Currin Watkins of New York, New York, and brother- in- law Michael Tyson of Durham.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Mark Graham and his entire team at Waverly Oncology, Dr. Dan Mollin, Dr. Gretchen Kimmick, Dr. Matthew Kapppus, Dr. Charles Barish, Trish Dillard, and the entire lab and imaging teams at Wake Internal Medicine, as well as the legion of close friends and relatives who have provided love, companionship, food, transportation, conversations, prayers, and hand holding over these many years.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial gifts be sent to Transitions LifeCare of Wake County or the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Care Center UNC Chapel Hill.

The family will host a Celebration of Life gathering at the Carolina Country Club on December 4th from 5:30pm until 7:30pm. All are welcome.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, is serving the Tyson family.