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David Wilson Williams ’48

A picture of David Williams

David Wilson Williams ’48 August 7, 2013, in Yakima, Washington. David attended Reed for two years, leaving for military service in the army, and then returning to the college to complete a BA in biology. In 1947, he married classmate Florence Boyrie ’49. He went on to earn an MD from the University of Oregon Medical School (Oregon Health & Science University) and to do his residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and at the Veterans Hospital in Portland. Completing that in 1956, he opened a medical practice in Yakima. David was devoted to his family, which comprised two daughters, including Susan E. ’72, and three sons, including David E. ’75. Over the years, David W. and Florence also welcomed eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren into the family fold. For 35 years, he organized family reunions, and was named by one grandchild as the “conductor of the family orchestra.” David was dedicated to providing excellent medical care for his patients and to improving health care in the Yakima community overall. He pioneered the use of pacemakers and introduced enterology. He founded Cornerstone Medical Clinic and served as senior partner in the practice until his retirement in 1994. Colleagues revered him. During his career, he was chief of medicine at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, a visiting consultant at Toppenish Memorial Hospital and at Yakima Osteopathic Hospital, and an assistant clinical professor for the University of Washington Yakima Family Practice Program. He was a member of many medical boards, including the Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and the Washington State Medical Society. His medical associations included the Yakima County Medical Association, the Washington State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He was named a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology in 1976 and a master in 1994. David also was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Rotary International, and a longtime supporter of the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, the Capitol Theatre, and the Yakima Valley Museum. During retirement, David and Florence traveled throughout the world and visited all seven continents. Survivors include Florence and their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Appeared in Reed magazine: June 2014