He practiced medicine for 37 years. He loved teaching and caring for his patients. He practiced medicine the old fashioned way, taking time to listen to his patients and giving them the care they needed. He was a legend among hospital staff for the laughter he brought to a serious environment. Though his handwriting was unintelligible, if you were lucky enough to decipher his charts you would find they were written like novels - grammatically correct, no split infinitives, perfect punctuation.
Donald was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 14, 1933,
the son of Eleanor and Herman Dubrow. He graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania with an undergraduate degree in English and earned his Doctor of Medicine from Jefferson Medical College in 1958.
He moved to Texas with his bride Nancy Sherman Dubrow in 1959 and served as Captain in the United States Air Force as Commander of the medical dispensary for 4 years at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio.
His internal medicine residency was at Baylor University Medical Center. In 1968, he was Board Certified. He was elected to the Fellowship of American College of Physicians in 1992, and was a volunteer clinical faculty member at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.
Donald had an incredible mind that easily accessed musical notes, historical quotes and obscure medical conditions. He was a devoted art and opera aficionado and philatelist who loved learning history. He also loved all of his boxer dogs.
He was a hunter-fisher golfer from his Air Force days. He hunted for his own lost balls and fished in every body of water for the misfires of every poor soul whose pond drives became his day’s lucky catch. The zenith of his golf career was the divebombing of his bald head by a large Texas hawk. He swung, finally getting the birdie he always sought.
Don grew the juiciest Texas-sized tomatoes, peppers, onions, squash, eggplant and cucumbers - a true ratatouille. He created a nutritious mulch pile of coffee grounds and eggshells that nurtured a menagerie of serpents, varmints and a handful of Komodo-dragon-sized lizards with whom he shared the fruits of his labor.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Nancy, daughters Fran (Mark) Berg, Eve Dubrow, and Karen Dubrow (David Romick), grandchildren Jared (Molly) Berg, Danielle Berg and Barry Romick, brother Robert, and boxer dog Tango.
Interviewed by the Dallas Times Herald on what determines
how we age, Don stated:
“Be happy and maintain your sense of humor.
It’s important for your mental health.
That’s where it begins.”
Special thanks to Don’s caregivers who helped him enjoy life to the end: Patricia Davis, Deanna Navarro, Kristal Smith, Beatrice McGee and Owen Obazughanmwen.
Donations may be made to Operation Kindness at Operationkindness.org or American Heart Association.
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