AOctober 13 1983
The Standard-Star, New Rochelle, New York, Thursday, October 13, 1983
Dr. Royal Davis dies; popular physician was 76
By June Schetterer, Staff Writer
Dr Royal Stanton Davis a much loved family physician for nearly 50 years in New Rochelle died Tuesday night at New Rochelle Hospital Medical Center. He had recently turned 76.
Known as a “family doctor,” even after his official retirement in 1981, he was still keenly interested in the welfare of his friends and patients. Besides medicine he had a lifelong love of history and chess.
“He was a very fine man very generous of himself. He always put himself second,” said his longtime friend and colleague Dr. John Zellinger, who had shared his office from 1953 until 1981.
“He was not just a doctor. He was a man who was a friend to his patients,” Zellinger said. Zellinger recalled that Dr. Davis hated to leave his patients, even for cherished trips to the British Isles.
He recalled one occasion when Dr. Davis made a non-medical house call to have a long talk with a youth who was having problems turning the boy's whole life around.
“You never found out these things from Royal,” Zellinger said “No one ever knew the many things he did for people. He helped more than one young doctor who was just starting out in practice and needed a place to begin.
“He has left a void that no one can fill today.”
Dr. Davis was long active in the American Academy of General Practice and had served one term as president of its New York Chapter. He also served for many years on the staff of the Pulmonary Division of Grasslands Hospital, now Westchester County Medical Center; was on the editorial board of the Westchester County Medical Society and was a member of the American Rheumatism Association the American Thoracic, Society and the American Geriatrics Society.
“It was with deep sorrow that I learned of the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Davis,” said George A. Vecchione administrator of New Rochelle Hospital Medical Center. “A few years after graduating in 1932 from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in medicine, he found an association with NRHMC which was to be life long,” he said.
“Dr. Davis had a unique personality. He will long be remembered for his guidance to the young physicians just entering into practice. He was a modest quiet man of transparent sincerity and singular devotion to duty,” Vecchione said.
Dr. Davis was born on Oct. 5, 1907 in Annapolis, Md., one of four children of Royal J. and Louise Stanton Davis. He moved to Yonkers as a boy and graduated from the Ethical Culture School in 1924. He graduated from Haverford College in 1928, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving his medical degree at Columbia he interned at Presbyterian Hospital.
While at Columbia he was an active member of the Columbia Chess Club. He was a co-founder of the New Rochelle Chess Club. He played games face to face and by mail until his death.
“There was always a game in progress,” said his wife, the former Marion Goodkind, whom he had married in 1933. They had recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
During World War II, Dr. Davis served as a captain in the Army Medical Corps in North Africa and later took part in the first landing in the Italian campaign. He was badly wounded in action in Naples and received the Purple Heart.
In 1936 he began his long association with New Rochelle Hospital Medical Center first as clinical assistant in medicine then adjunct attending physician in 1941, attending physician in 1947, and as member of the Medical Board in 1953 and again in 1963-64. Dr. Davis was named attending physician emeritus in 1973 and was still listed as a member of the honorary medical staff at his death.
Dr. Davis was an authority on both American and British history particularly the American Indian and early civilizations in Great Britain, said Florence Stapleton, a neighbor and friend of many years.
“He was a friend that I made after he retired” said horticulturist Alice Knubel. “He was very interested in plants and consulted me because he seemed to feel his needed a doctor I became his plant 'doctor.' We used to joke about it,” she said.
A resident of New Rochelle since 1935, Dr. Davis was active in the American History Club and the New Rochelle Lions Club and served a term as president of the Lions. He was known for his wit, his firm opinions, and his unswerving friendship, his fellow Lions said.
Surviving are his wife of the home address; three daughters Elizabeth Anne Davis of East Orange, N.J., Marion Madrid of New Rochelle, and Nancy Morgan of Fairbanks, Alaska; a sister, E. Louise Davis of Riverdale; and four grandchildren. Family and friends are making memorial contributions to New Rochelle Hospital Medical Center.
