Dr. William F. Dudding

William Forrest Dudding was born on Dec. 15, 1942, in Topeka, Kan., the only child of Orville Forrest Dudding and Merle Elaine (Messenger) Dudding. He spent his formative years there, practicing baseball by hitting rocks by the railroad tracks near his childhood home, loved by his parents and by his Uncle Don and Aunt Ellen. He collected baseball cards, and he and his mother would forever disagree as to who was responsible for the collection being given away.

We were told that he was the first person in Topeka to receive penicillin, after falling into a glass tabletop as a young child. He grew into an accomplished athlete at Seaman High School, where he lettered in track, football, and basketball. He attended college at Washburn University, studying biology and chemistry by day and working by night at the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. After completing his undergraduate degree, he pursued a postgraduate degree in biochemistry at the University of Arkansas Medical Center, where, among other things, he conducted early mRNA research and published a paper on “the reaction sequence of the K+-dependent acetyl phosphatase activity of the Na+ pump,” which, truth be told, might as well be in Greek to his children, none of whom followed him into the sciences.

He subsequently switched to medicine, earning his M.D. in 1976 from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and moving to Fort Smith, where he became the first person to complete a family practice residency from the Fort Smith Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program.

Dr. Dudding was a dedicated physician in the Fort Smith medical community for 46 years, holding numerous positions at Mercy Hospital (formerly St. Edward’s). He valued his work as a doctor and treasured the relationships he had with his patients and his fellow medical professionals, serving two terms on the Arkansas State Medical Board, having been appointed by both Democrat and Republican governors.

He enjoyed golf, the Razorbacks (with a soft spot for the Jayhawks), and above all, time with his family. A devoted husband of over 41 years, he is survived by his wife, Ruth Bailey Dudding, his four children, Chris (Doan), Kimberley (Chris), William, and Danielle (Will), five grandchildren, two sisters-in-law and numerous friends, who cherish his memory.

Dr. Dudding is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers-in-law, Reuel Holland and Jim Bailey.

Visitation will take place on Monday, March 9 from 5:00pm- 7:00pm at Edwards Funeral Home, 201 N 12th St, Fort Smith, AR 72901. Memorial service will be held on Tuesday, March 10, at 11:00am at Goddard United Methodist Church, 1922 Dodson Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72901 with burial of ashes to follow at Oak Cemetery, 1401 South Greenwood Avenue Fort Smith, AR 72901. Services under the director of Edwards Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to edwardsfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Doctors Without Borders, or Goddard United Methodist Church.

A husband, father, grandfather, and friend, he was loved by many who knew him.