William Howard Davidson

May 17, 1943 - May 24, 2015

The San Diego medical community, the Church and the Davidson family have

lost one of our most beloved members. The soul of Dr. William Howard Davidson

passed peacefully into Eternal Life on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2015 after

succumbing to a two year battle with mesothelioma. Dr. Davidson was a natural leader

with a strong desire to live out his life in service to God and his neighbor. He had a

strong work ethic, coupled with a warm heart and a keen sense of humor.

Born in Portland, Oregon on May 17, 1943 to Jack and Virginia Davidson, Bill

began his home life with his brother, Jack and his pet goat, Nancy Fleecy, in a rural

community where eventually his family would raise horses. Camping, hunting & fishing

were the norm during his youth, when he also developed a taste for classical music.

Bill attended Portland State College, majoring in Chemistry and minoring in

German Culture and Civilization. He was a Rotary sponsored exchange student to

Denmark, yielding expanded horizons, fluency in Danish and lifelong friendship with

his new family abroad. Billʼs college research into the natural chemistry of the

Redwood and Giant Sequoia, found abundantly in Portland, led him to the

identification of alpha limene and other essential oils which act as a natural defense

against insects. His two papers on the subject were published in the Journal of

Phytochemistry in 1966.

Bill and his wife, Carolyn, met in 1964 aboard the S.S. France on a return trip

from Europe. They were married in July of 1966, after Bill had completed his first year

at Cornell Medical School in New York City. Bill served as an intern and general

surgery resident at Colorado General Hospital in Denver, and then returned to New

York where he completed his Orthopaedic residency and Hand fellowship at the

Hospital for Special Surgery. At last he and Carolyn sought “the perfect place” to raise

their family and practice medicine. They found it in San Diego where he joined the

practice of S.D. Orthopaedic Associatesʼ Medical Group in 1974. By this time they had

four children, with two more yet to be born. As the family grew they became active at

St. Brigid Church where Bill served (with his sons) as an acolyte, and later as a

Eucharistic Minister He also served as chair of the liturgical committee for two years,

and headed the fund raising campaign for the churchʼs beautiful Martin Ott tracker

organ which was installed in 1993.

Dr. Davidson was a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons,

and of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He taught residents in Hand

Surgery at Childrenʼs Hospital for eight years. He served as Chief-of-Staff at Mercy

Hospital in 1995 and 1996, and was chief of the Orthopaedic residency program for

ten years. Between 1984 and 2002 Bill was a member of the Mercy Outreach Surgical

Team (M.O.S.T.), taking multiple missionary trips to the colonial cities in Mexico, along

with teams of other surgical specialists, to treat children born with congenital

anomolies.

In 1992 Bill and his wife were invited to become members of the Equestrian

Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a knighthood under the protection of the

Holy Father, whose mission is to enhance the spirituality of its members and to support

the rapidly diminishing Christian presence in the Holy Land. He and Carolyn attained

the rank of Knight Grand Cross and Lady Grand Cross. From 2000 to 2008 Bill served

as area counselor for San Diego. And in 2010 he was installed by Cardinal John

Patrick Foley as the 6th Lieutenant of the USA Western Lieutenancy. He considered

this a tremendous honor, and he found great pleasure in serving the mission of the

Order in the best way he could.

Bill and Carolyn have enjoyed happy, busy and fulfilling years raising their

children. Their family life was very much enriched by the five exchange students from

Denmark, Brazil and Japan whom they welcomed into their home over the years. They

were also able to travel with their children, forging lasting wonderful memories for

each of them. Some of the favorite destinations included houseboating on Lake

Shasta, Hawaii, Brazil, Medjugorge and Oberammergau, as part of a tour coordinated

by Bill through Central Europe. We are extremely grateful to God for granting us so

many blessings, and most notably, the army of friends who have been supporting us

through prayer during the last two years.

Bill was preceded in death by his father, Jack, his mother, Virginia and his

brother, Jack Paul. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, two daughters, Kirsten Bates

(Greg), Heidi Hensey (Richard), four sons, Todd (Jessica), Kurt (Jennifer), Loren

(Kellee), Brandon, and thirteen grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to M.O.S.T. by sending a check made out to

Scripps Mercy Hospital Foundation/MOST , with Dr. Davidsonʼs name on the memo line, and

checks sent to Scripps Mercy Hospital Foundation

4077 Fifth Avenue, MER 42

San Diego, CA 92108

or to

Western USA Lieutenancy Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

checks made out to EOHSJ as an endowment for the Zarqa schools in Jordan, and sent to

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

Attn: Sir Mark Beery

555 West Temple Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012-2707