Obituary of David Cornelius DeJong

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of David C. DeJong, 90, who left us peacefully on October 24, 2024

David was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin to missionary parents on furlough from their station in Kuwait.  He traveled extensively as a youth, spending years in Kuwait with his parents and in India, where he attended primary and high school at Highclerc School in Kodaikanal, South India. After graduation, he attended Hope College, Holland, Michigan.  During his junior year, he talked the love of his life, Dorothea (Doe) Essebaggers, into transferring to Hope College from Elmhurst College her senior year, with a ring and a promise of life together.   They were married shortly after graduation. 

David and Dorothea then moved to Ann Arbor, MI where David attended medical school at the University of Michigan - a university he loved and rooted for the rest of his life.  While attending medical school, the couple had their first 2 children, Cynthia and John.   Between his junior and senior years, Dave joined the U.S. Army.  After graduation from medical school, he completed his Internship, then was stationed in chilly Fort Greeley, Alaska.   At Ft. Greeley, David worked in the Arctic Climate Research Center and served as a Primary Care physician for the families stationed there at Fort Greeley.   Following Alaska, the family moved to College Park, Maryland, where David began his pathology residency at the prestigious Walter Reed Army Medical Center Institute of Pathology.  While at Walter Reed, David and Dorothea had their 3rd child, Schuyler.  After completing his pathology residency David was stationed in Sudbury, Massachusetts where he worked at the Natick Army Research Center.  After just 2 years, he was assigned to Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone where he served as the Chief of the Laboratory.  The family enjoyed a wonderful 3 years there in sunny Panama.  The penultimate move occurred when David left the military and transitioned to civilian life in Wichita, Kansas.  There, Dave worked for years at St. Francis Hospital as a pathologist, both anatomic and clinical, who specialized in Radio-isotopic (Nuclear), and Forensic Medicine.  In addition, he spent time as State Laboratory Inspector. In later years he worked in Little Rock as Acting State Coroner.

David always had a love of music.  He enjoyed playing the piano and took lessons from grade school through college.  He enjoyed playing classical music for pleasure all his life.    in Alaska, he became involved in the music of the local church, serving as choir director for the next several years.   He also directed church choirs and sang in church choirs wherever he was stationed and later in civilian life.     Dave was a keen chess player from high school days and won the Kansas State chess championship twice.  In Wichita, he shared his interest in and expertise at the game by teaching students at several local schools.  He took great pride in following his students through local and state chess tournaments.   Another of his passions was stamp collecting, which he pursued diligently. He collected stamps from all over the world and learned the country's history from those stamps.

After nearly 50 years in Wichita, Dave and Doe finally moved to Pensacola, Florida, to live next to their son, John.   They had several happy years there in Pensacola.   Sadly, Dave became afflicted with dementia.  After a progressive decline in function, the condition ultimately took his life.    He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Dorothea, his children, Cynthia, John and Schuyler, a cat named Ginger, grandchildren Jessica and Sean Abbott (Cynthia), Katherine, Olivia and Carson DeJong (Schuyler), and Tyler and Ava DeJong (John).

David was a thoughtful, serious and god-fearing man who was the solid father representative of his time.  He never faltered in his love and support of his family.   He is missed by all, and the memory of him, the blessing of his life, lives on in all whom his life touched.

 

 

 

 

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