James R. MacBride III, MD, age 86, passed away Thursday, June 18, 2026 surrounded by family at his home in Spring Lake, MI. He was born December 9, 1939, in Philadelphia, PA to James Roland MacBride, Jr. and Dorothy May (Cooper) MacBride Seixas. He married Gale L. Bellanger on July 7, 2005, in Spring Lake, MI. He was a 1957 graduate of Chestnut Hill Academy. He was first in his family to matriculate to college and earned his Bachelor's Degree from Haverford College, his Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Harvard University.
Jim devoted 55 years to the practice of medicine before retiring in 2022. His career began in the U.S. Public Health Service, where he served in the Indian Health Service at the Walker River Paiute Reservation in Schurz, Nevada. He later rose to become Deputy Area Director for the Phoenix Area of the Indian Health Service where he helped establish one of the nation’s earliest Physician Assistant degree programs training Native military medics returning from Vietnam to serve in their communities. He returned home to Philadelphia 1977 as founding Chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine. Family Medicine was a fledgling specialty in those days, and he helped it establish a foothold in urban medical centers.
Following more than 14 years at Temple, Jim spent the next phase of his career in hospital leadership, including service as Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at several hospitals in Michigan, Baltimore, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. But his love of patient care ultimately drew him back to the bedside. In the final chapter of his career, he provided clinical care across rural northern Michigan well into his 70s and continued caring for residents in local nursing homes through the COVID pandemic, retiring only at the age of 83.
Jim loved his family, and he loved his sports—and he loved combining these passions. From 1984 to 1991, he served as the sideline team doctor for the Chestnut Hill Academy varsity football team, a role that allowed him to care for and watch over his sons and their teammates. He would say later this was the best job he ever had and kept clippings of the many championship teams from those years.
A gifted athlete himself, Jim played basketball and cricket at Haverford College, where he was a bowler for the cricket team. He loved all the Philadelphia sports teams, but his first love was always baseball. He was a lifelong Phillies fan, a frequent visitor to Connie Mack Stadium as a child, and such a devoted supporter that he became the second person ever to purchase season tickets to Phillies Spring Training. He held those tickets from the 1980s onward, spending weeks each year in Clearwater, Florida, for decades.
Jim’s love of play extended well beyond organized sports. He was an enthusiastic wiffle ball player throughout his life and often led large family games at gatherings with his brother, sons, nephews, and grandchildren. He also continued his passion for cricket for many years through the annual Ambler family cricket event in Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Beyond sports, Jim treasured summers with family and friends in Vinalhaven, Maine, and was an avid gardener who created beautiful, expansive gardens wherever he lived. Although he preferred to think of his heritage as Scottish, he certainly inherited the Irish ‘gift of gab’. He was known for his story telling and famous for chatting up any waitstaff, bartender or store clerk he encountered.
Survivors include his beloved wife, Gale MacBride; sons, Jonathan (Jennifer) MacBride, Sam (Eileen Barrett) MacBride; stepdaughter, Michelle Gonzales; 5 grandchildren, Hannah MacBride, Dylan MacBride, Emily MacBride, Karly (Kenzie) Barkel, Sophia (Javen) Zamojein; a brother, Doug (Stacey) MacBride; nephews, Andrew (Allison) MacBride, Peter (Katherine) MacBride; and former spouse, Susan Randall MacBride.
Memorial Services will be held at the Chapel at Chestnut Hill Academy, 500 W. Willow Grove Ave in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday November 28th at 11am. In memory of Jim and honor of his beloved mentors Thomas Ambler and Ralph Earle, MD donations may be made to the Islands Medical Center (https://www.icmsvh.org/donate) or Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (https://www.sch.org/school/support/make-a-gift).
