Obituary: David Wilke Ovitt - Class of 1929

A memorial service will be held Feb. 25 for David Wilkie Ovitt of Eugene, who died Jan. 21 of age-related causes. He was 93.

Ovitt was born Nov. 2, 1912, in Chicago, to Arthur Wilkie and Margaret Haight. He married Elizabeth "Bess" Wright on June 15, 1938, in Bowling Green, Ky. She died Oct. 8, 1998.

He graduated from Madison Central High School in 1929. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1923 and a master's degree from the same university in 1936.

Ovitt served in the Army from 1941 to 1945 as a member of the 4th Surgical Auxiliary in Europe.

He worked as a general surgeon and was chief of surgery and chief of staff at St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis. He was the founding member of Northpoint Medical Group.

He enjoyed playing bridge, golf and reading and was an avid University of Wisconsin basketball fan. He was a 50-year member of the American Medical Association, the Wisconsin Medical Society and the University of Wisconsin Alumni.

Survivors include a son, Theron "Terry" of Tucson, Ariz., two daughters, Margaret Ovitt of Macomb, Ill., and Elizabeth "Betsy" Ovitt of Eugene; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

The Feb. 25 service will be held at 11 a.m. at Christ Church in Milwaukee, Wis. Musgrove Family Mortuary in Eugene is in charge of arrangements.

Originally published in the Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard newspaper on January 25, 2006


Ovitt, David W., MD

A memorial service was held February 25 for David Wilkie Ovitt who died January 21, 2006 of age-related causes. He was 93. Ovitt was born November 2, 1912 in Chicago, to Arthur Wilkie and Margaret Haight. He was raised in Madison, graduating from Madison Central High School in 1929. He received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1933 and a Doctorate of Medicine from there in 1936. He married Elizabeth "Bess" Wright on June 15, 1938 in Bowling Green Kentucky. She died October 8, 1998. He served in the Army from 1941-1945. From 1943-1945 he was a member of the 4th Surgical Auxillary which was attached to Patton's 3rd Army. This medical unit performed surgery at the front lines on those who were too critically wounded to transport to the hospital. After the war he returned to Milwaukee to practice General Surgery. He was a Clinical Instructor of Surgery at Marquette Medical School and a Consulting Surgeon at Milwaukee County Hospital from 1947-1955. He served 25 years on the Editorial Board of the Wisconsin State Medical Journal from 1950-1975. He was a general surgeon on the staff of St. Mary's Hospital from 1947-1984 where he was Chief of Surgery from 1960-1966 and Chief of Staff from 1966-1970. During his tenure as Chief of Staff, he led the initiative to begin Open Heart Surgery services at the hospital. In response to rising health care costs, he worked with American Motors and St. Mary's Hospital to organize a group of physicians to found Northpoint in 1972, one of the earliest HMO's in Wisconsin. He retired from active practice in 1982. He enjoyed playing bridge, reading and was an avid University of Wisconsin basketball fan. He was a 50 year member of the Wisconsin Medical Society and the University of Wisconsin Alumni. Survivors include a son, Theron "Terry" of Tucson, Arizona; two daughters, Margaret Ovitt of Macomb, Ill and Elizabeth "Betsy" Ovitt of Eugene, OR; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial donations can be made to the charity of your choice or to Columbia-St. Mary's Foundation. Further information is available through Musgrove Family Mortuary, Eugene, Oregon, 541-686-2818.

Orignally published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on March 15, 2005