Dabney Minor Ewin, M.D. died peacefully, surrounded by his family on June 24, 2020 at the age of 94. Dr. Ewin was born in New Orleans on December 7, 1925 to James Perkins Ewin and Lucille Havard Scott Ewin. He was a wise father, healer, teacher, and friend, and would help anyone, anytime, anywhere.
During the Depression, he lived with his aunt, Lucy Herndon Ewin in Gulfport, Mississippi, where at a young age, he nurtured a love of star gazing, classical poetry, ancestry, and the Bible. He attended New Orleans Academy and Christ School in Arden, North Carolina, which he considered a significant influence on the formation of his character. He graduated from Isidore Newman High School in 1943.
He joined the Tulane Naval ROTC, was an undergraduate in the School of Engineering and president of his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1945 and served as an anti-aircraft gunnery officer aboard the cruiser Columbia in the Atlantic until the end of the war. Upon his return, he attended Tulane School of Medicine, while serving concurrently as the president of the Tulane Student Council, graduating in 1951. Dr. Ewin completed his internship and surgery residency at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and trained at the Ochsner Clinic. He served as Chief Resident at Huey P. Long Charity Hospital in Pineville, Louisiana. He practiced surgery and occupational medicine for 35 years as a partner in the medical group Drs. Houston, Roy, Faust and Ewin.
In the 1960s, Dr. Ewin developed a life-long interest in medical hypnosis while working with burn patients. He significantly advanced the role, techniques, and use of hypnosis in medicine. His dedication to medical hypnosis was matched by his love of teaching. For over forty years, he taught hypnosis at Tulane School of Medicine, where he served as Clinical Professor of Surgery and Psychiatry. Beginning in 1980, he served as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Louisiana State University Medical School. He realized the importance of teaching young physicians the art of medicine and bedside manner, emphasizing that what they say to their patients really matters. He taught workshops around the country and the world, from Perth, Australia to Budapest, Hungary. Most recently, at the age of 93, he gave the keynote address at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
Dr. Ewin was the first president of the New Orleans Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He was past president of both the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the American Board of Medical Hypnosis. He was honored with numerous awards, including the Milton Erickson Award by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the Roy Dorcas Award by The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the Pierre Janet Award by the International Society of Hypnosis. In 1994, he was honored as Distinguished Visiting Professor by the Royal Society of Medicine in London. He was a Life Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the American Medical Association, Louisiana State Medical Society, the Orleans Parish Medical Society, president of the Louisiana Industrial Medical Association and Speaker of the House of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
In December 2015, the Tulane University School of Medicine celebrated his legacy with the “Dabney M. Ewin, M.D. Hypnosis Lecture,” at the Tulane Brain and Behavior Conference held each year in New Orleans. He was the first speaker of the endowed annual lecture by leading clinicians in hypnotherapy. His succinct book, “101 Things I Wish I'd Known When I Started Using Hypnosis” is a testament to a lifetime of learning.
He was a member of the Louisiana Debating and Literary Association, the Boston Club, the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club, the Society of Colonial Wars, the Louisiana Historical Society, the Huguenot Society, and several Mardi Gras organizations.
He was a lifelong member of Trinity Episcopal Church, where he was confirmed, taught Sunday School for six years, and headed up the Cub Scout program.
At age 86, Dr. Ewin took up tap dancing, because “I never saw an unhappy tap dancer.” A dapper gentleman, he was frequently seen downtown wearing his trademark fedora. His dear friend, Virginia Dare Rufin, kept him on his toes while they enjoyed all that New Orleans had to offer. His favorite times were visiting with family and friends at Greenwood, the family’s country home. To family, friends, colleagues, and patients, he would often advise, “Go to Your Happy Place.”
He is survived by his children, Dabney Minor Ewin, Jr. of New Orleans, Louisiana (Ann), Constance Ewin Commette of Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Peter), Christopher Scott Ewin, M.D. of Fort Worth, Texas (Kelly Ann), Leila Ewin Conner of New Orleans, Louisiana (Ken); grandchildren Kelly Alexander Suddath, Diane Adair Ewin Shannon (John), Christina Ann Ewin, Whitfield Christopher Scott Conner; step-grandchildren Mary Marshall Smith (Kyle), Caroline Dyess Crawford (Will), Morgan Lee Commette, Catherine Sheehan Commette; great-granddaughter and namesake Dabney Elizabeth Shannon; sister-in-law Louise Nelson Ewin and numerous beloved nieces, nephews and godchildren.
He was predeceased by his wife, Marilyn Allison Ewin, his first wife and mother of his children, Ethelyn Alexander Sherrouse Ewin, his son, John Walton Ewin, his brothers James Perkins Ewin, Jr., Gordon Overton Ewin, and his sister Lucille Havard Ewin Schmidt.
Due to COVID-19, there will be a private service, followed by a private family burial at the Trinity Episcopal Church Columbarium.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to one of the following: Christ School, Arden, NC, www.christschool.org/giving ; or Tulane School of Medicine, https://giving.tulane.edu/som , Please specify the “Dabney M. Ewin, M.D. Hypnosis Lecture;” or Trinity Episcopal Church, www.trinitynola.com/giving/
To view and sign the guestbook, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.
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