Col. M.D.

Col. Clint Edwin Chambers, M.D., USAF (retired), was a loving son, brother, husband, father, and friend to many, as a member of the Lubbock Community and the Sunset Church of Christ family for the past 40 years. He was 90 years old when he passed away on Friday, March 25th, 2022. He fought the good fight of living right and always putting others first in his heart, word, and deed until the end of his blessed life.

Clint was born to Clarence and Leta Chambers in Chickasha, Oklahoma on January 15th, 1932. After graduating from Chickasha High School in 1950, Clint earned a football scholarship to Baylor University where he was a 4-year letterman. He received a BS in Biology and worked summers in construction to support himself. He studied both in Waco, and later in Colorado at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratories in Gothic, Colorado during his medical school summers.

Clint attended the Oklahoma University School of Medicine and graduated in 1959. Clint literally practiced medicine throughout the world. He began practicing medicine when he first went to work as a volunteer physician and chief medical officer for the nonprofit organization Medico in 1960-1962 in Southeast Asia. During this time, he oversaw the construction of a health clinic for the Cambodian people and laid the groundwork for future teams to serve this area, which until his arrival, was many miles from any healthcare facility.

In 1960, he met the love of his life, Siva Vainunawin, in Bangkok, Thailand. They wed on February 28, 1961, and were married for over 61 years. In 1962, he joined the United States Air Force, retiring in 1983 as a full bird Colonel. They had 2 children, daughter Tida Chambers-Bostrom and son Clifford N. Chambers, who were both born in Taipei, Taiwan.

During his 21 years as military physician, surgeon, and administrator, the Chambers family lived all over the world. They were stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX; Aberdeen, MD for his Johns Hopkins Fellowship; Wiesbaden AFB, Wiesbaden, Germany; Richardson, TX for his Baylor fellowship; Wright Patterson AFB-Dayton, OH; and finally, Reese AFB in Lubbock, TX.

Dr. Chambers came to Lubbock as the Hospital Commander of Reese AFB in 1981. He was a member of Lubbock-Crosby-Garza County Medical Society since 1981, where he served as Vice President in 1991, President in 1995 and as a delegate to the Texas Medical Association House of Delegates for several years. Upon retirement from the USAF in 1983, he went into private practice until his retirement in 2001. He then volunteered part time in the minor surgery clinic of the Community Health Center of Lubbock and taught part-time at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center until 2021.

Clint leaves a legacy and ripple effect of positivity, not only to his family and to the community of Lubbock but also to this world. A man ahead of his time, he was a true renaissance man. He was a pragmatist, a lifelong learner, an adventurer, explorer, musician, athlete, builder, leader, teacher, historian, and author. He published his first book at 88 years old through Oklahoma University Press entitled "Comanche Jack Stillwell", who happened to be his great, great Uncle Jack.

To his family and friends, he was kind, humble, honest, funny, and generous. He lived a life to which we should all aspire. All the decisions he made were with family first and always in heart and mind. He had diverse interests and hobbies including strong affiliations with the West Texas Historical Society, the Santa Fe Trail Society, and the Vietnam Veterans Archives at Southwest Collection of Texas Tech University.

He afforded his family the value of knowledge through higher education, travel, and rich life experiences throughout the world including skiing and hiking in Europe and the US, and extensive travel throughout Europe, Northern Africa and Thailand. He loved history and took his family to countless battlefields and historical sites in the United States. He was unendingly proud of Siva, Tida, and Cliff and he always tried his best to support them.

Anyone who knew Clint knew that he was the most loving and dedicated citizen, father, and husband a family could ask for. Clint received countless awards and accolades throughout his life, but perhaps his greatest achievement was the consistent kindness he showed to other people the entirety of his life. Clint was predeceased by his parents, Clarence Chambers and Leta Chambers. He is survived by his wife Siva, his sister Marian Gaye Beavers of Oklahoma City, his daughter, Tida, his son Clifford, and his grandchildren Catherine and Christopher Chambers.
Visitation for Clint will be Thursday, March 31, 2022, from 5-8 pm at Combest Family Funeral Home, 2210 Broadway, Lubbock, TX 79401. Clint's life will be memorialized in a Celebration of His Life on Friday, April 1, 2022, at 11:00 am at the same location in the Chapel.

His graveside service will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Chickasha, Oklahoma at 2 pm Saturday, April 2, 2022, under the personal care and direction of Combest Family Funeral Home.

As an expression of love and sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to Chambers International, a foundation with a vision to carry on Clint's good works. Chambers International has a global mission to support homeless, impoverished, orphaned, or neglected children by educating and empowering them through medical, health and nutritional resources thereby aiding them to grow and flourish physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Flowers and notes may be sent to Combest Family Funeral Home.

Chambers International, 5104 18th Place, Lubbock, Texas 79416
Combest Family Funeral Home, 2210 Broadway, Lubbock, Texas 79401