IN REMEMBRANCE : David Townes , MD November 6 , 1937 - November 1 , 2023
David Townes was born in Louisville , Kentucky . He was the youngest son of Dwight and Kathleen Townes . I first met David , when both of our fathers were stationed at Kelly Field in the Army Air Corps during WWII . Since that first encounter , our lives have been interconnected for a lifetime .
After the war , David ’ s family moved back to Louisville , where he grew up and went to school . He graduated from Fern Creek , where he was a leader both in academics and athletics . He attended Princeton University as an undergraduate and the University of Louisville for medical school . He began his residency at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology . His residency was interrupted by a two-year call to duty in the Marine Corps . He spent one year of his service with the Corps in Vietnam . This was a life changing experience – “ Once A Marine , Always A Marine .”
Upon finishing his residency , he entered private practice with his father and my father . He quickly made some changes to modernize
the practice . He became active in the JCMS and the medical school . He served in multiple capacities including the Alumni Board of the medical school . During this period , one of his greatest joys was teaching and staffing ophthalmology residents .
As “ midlife ” approached , David , Marlene and the three boys moved to the mountains of Wyoming to start a new adventure . Hunting and fishing were what the doctor ordered at this time in his life . This sojourn lasted 15 years after which , like the Prodigal Son , David returned to Louisville . He returned just in time to join the original members of Kentucky Eye Care . Kentucky Eye Care has grown throughout the years , to become one of the leaders in the ophthalmic community .
Finally , retirement summoned David and Marlene to a farm outside of Danville . He was blessed in retirement , attaining his aspiration to be a gentleman farmer . Rest in peace , David . Semper Fi .
-C . Thomas Moran MD
Dr . Townes was a GLMS member for 53 years .
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