In Memoriam

Dr. M. Wayne Falcone, 1941-2026

Dr. Wayne Falcone, 84, a beloved physician, devoted husband and father, mentor, and friend, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in the early morning hours of February 3, 2026. 

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, February 12, at St. Jerome Catholic Church, 9820 Chapel Road in Waco, by Monsignor Bill Brooks, who also officiated Dr. and Mrs. Falcone’s marriage 34 years ago. 

Dr. Falcone was born May 30, 1941, to Anthony James Falcone and Alice Elizabeth Van Sleet Falcone. 

After graduating from Catholic Central High School in upstate New York, Dr. Falcone pursued his education at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he later attended Georgetown Medical School. He served his country honorably in the United States Air Force for two years through the Berry Plan, attaining the rank of Major. In 1973, following his military service, he answered a lifelong calling to medicine in Waco — a vocation that would shape not only his professional career, but the lives of countless patients, colleagues, and friends. 

Early in his career, Dr. Falcone played a pivotal role in shaping cardiac care in Waco, working alongside his longtime colleague and friend, Dr. Charles Shoultz Jr., to help establish cardiology services and bring procedures and expertise to a community where such care had not previously been available. Dependable and generous with his time, he ensured continuity of care and the highest standards for patients throughout the community. To many, he was not only a physician, but a trusted and steady presence. 

Dr. Falcone’s influence extended far beyond the exam room. He was a teacher and mentor, a father figure, and a quiet guide to many employees, nurses, colleagues, and family members who looked to him for discernment and wisdom. His generosity was never performative; it was simply intrinsic to who he was. He had a rare ability to instill calm, confidence, and assurance by his presence alone. To those who knew him best, his presence was so consistent and grounding that it felt permanent. He was the kind of man whose reliability was assumed, because it had always been so. 

Beyond his work in medicine, hunting was one of Dr. Falcone’s greatest lifelong joys. Beginning as a teenager, he carried a deep love for the outdoors throughout his life, finding both adventure and peace in the tradition. He especially cherished spring turkey season, eagerly anticipating time spent hunting with his close friend and favorite hunting partner, Dr. David Jansma. 

Dr. Falcone shared 34 years of marriage this September with his beloved wife, Kim Falcone, whose vibrant spirit and dynamic presence beautifully complemented his calm and measured nature. Their life together was marked by deep partnership, shared joy, and unwavering devotion. 

Dr. Falcone was a devoted father, embracing his family fully and without distinction. He showed up with patience, consistency, and unconditional love, offering guidance, steadiness, and support to those who knew him as Dad. To him, family was defined by commitment and care, not by labels. 

Physician partners carrying forward the legacy he helped build at Waco Cardiology Associates will serve as pallbearers. In the truest sense, honorary pallbearers include the countless colleagues, nurses, staff, friends, and dear family members, too many to name, whose lives were touched and strengthened by Dr. Falcone’s compassion and generosity of spirit, just as his life was enriched by knowing them. 

Dr. Falcone leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured in years, titles, or accomplishments, but in lives changed. His influence lives on in the people he mentored, the family he loved, and the many who were better simply for having known him. 

When people speak of Dr. Falcone, the words most often heard are simple and remarkably consistent: he was the kindest man they had ever known. That kindness, lived quietly and generously, is the memory he leaves behind. 

Dr. Charles A. Shoultz Jr., 1937-2025, founder of Waco Cardiology Associates

Dr. Charles A. Shoultz Jr., who founded Waco Cardiology Associates in 1971, reportedly with only a desk, phone and one nurse, passed away on January 23, 2025 at the age of 87. Dr. Charles Shoultz Jr. joined with Dr. Michael Wayne Falcone to perform the first heart catheterization in Waco in 1973. The Waco Cardiology Associates family and community will always remember the impact he made on his patients and will continue to follow in his footsteps in providing best-in-class cardiological care in Central Texas.

Read more about Dr. Shoultz’s life and legacy here.