Donald James DAVIDS

DAVIDS, BAKKER, YOUNG, GRIGSBY, HOLZWORTH, SKAGGS, TINCHER, LEERAR

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/7/2013 at 11:18:05

May 1, 1930 -- September 24, 2013

ELKHART, IN -- On Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013, Donald James Davids, 83, left this earth for his eternal home. He was born May 1, 1930, the youngest of nine children, in Kanawha, Iowa, to immigrant parents James and Katie (Bakker) Davids. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, M. Suzann (Young) Davids and his children, Deborah (Ken) Holzworth, Mark (Lynette) Davids and Douglas Davids; grandchildren Emily (Jeremy) Grigsby, Daniel Holzworth, Julia Holzworth, Cassandra Holzworth, Luke Holzworth, Kaitlyn (Davids) Skaggs and Matthew Davids; and two great grandchildren, Zane Grigsby and Tzeitel Grigsby. He is also survived by two siblings, John Davids and Della Davids. He was preceded in death by his other siblings, Lena (Davids) Tincher, Bert Davids, Ann (Davids) Leerar, William Davids, Marienus Davids and Robert Davids.

Donald served nearly three years with the U.S. Air Force before and during the Korean War. He graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Iowa and received advanced degrees from the University of North Carolina and the University of Denver School of Law, where he was awarded the Omar E. Garwood Memorial Award from the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.

He was chief of vital statistics and legal counsel for the Colorado State Health Dept. for 20 years. He was president of the board of directors for Bethesda Hospital in Denver and was a member of the World Health Organization, which included work in Cairo. He wrote public health policy for the states of Colorado, Kansas and Indiana and served a term as editor of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. He was also a member of the Cooperative Health Statistics Advisory Committee for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Donald moved to Elkhart to assume management of the Elkhart County Abstract Company, a company his father-in-law owned and operated for 60 years. Donald also acquired and managed the LaGrange Title and Tri-County Title companies. He was president of the Indiana Land Title Association, a member of the Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, the Elcona Country Club and president of the Elkhart Symphony Board. He was also a member of the National Board of the Selective Service System.

Donald always had a love for children and for learning. In his retirement he began tutoring young children at the South Bend Christian School. However, he was not able to fully live out these passions as the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease began to make even simple tasks difficult for him. Even during his long battle with this illness Donald kept the same gentle, kind demeanor that people had come to know in him. His love for his family remained strong, as did his faith in God. His winning smile and his contagious laugh stayed with him until the end. Services will be private. Arrangements are entrusted with Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home.

Elkhart Truth - Elkhart, Indiana
September 26, 2013