Obituary of David Drake DuBois M.D.

Dr. David DuBois, age 82, entered eternal life on Friday, June 23, 2023.

He was an extremely skilled and highly respected plastic surgeon in private practice in Colorado Springs for thirty-three years and was a Colorado Springs resident for almost fifty years.

The son of Dr. Gordon and Rozella DuBois, he was reared along with his older sister, Joetta, in the small town of McCallsburg, IA, where his father was a family doctor for residents in that community and surrounding areas. His mother was a registered nurse who worked with his father. It is not surprising that from a young age, Dave aspired to make medicine his career.

He attended the University of Iowa where he obtained his B.A. in general science in 1962 and his M.D. degree in 1965. He interned at Philadelphia General Hospital from 1965-1966 after which he was a captain in the United States Air Force, serving as a general medical officer at Travis AFB during the Vietnam War.

It was while he was an Intern at PGH that he met his future wife, Suzanne West, daughter of Dr. Tom and Margaret West of Memphis, TN. They met on a blind date arranged by her brother who was a fellow Intern. Suzanne had stopped by to visit her brother on her way home from college. They were married on December 14, 1969, and were extremely devoted partners who sincerely enjoyed each other's company for over 53 years. They were blessed with two wonderful children: a daughter, Mary, and a son, David Jr.
Dr. DuBois completed two sequential residencies at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, MN from 1968-1974: the first was in General Surgery, and the second was in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Upon completion, he became Board Certified in both specialties.

In 1974, the family moved to Colorado Springs. Dr. DuBois became a founding member of the Colorado Springs Plastic Surgery Associates, as well as a founding member of the Penrose Hospital Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic. Highly regarded by his peers, he was selected to serve as Chief of Staff of Penrose-St. Francis Hospitals in the 1980's.

He was a member of the Colorado Springs Clinical Club, the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Doctors Mayo Society, the Mayo Alumni Association, the Colorado Thirty Group, the Garden of the Gods Club, and the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club. He was also a long-time active member of First Lutheran Church.
Outside of work and family, Dave had two passions. The first was spending time each summer at his family's cabin near Bemidji, MN. He appreciated the rustic beauty of this unspoiled area, which he first visited when he was only six months old. Water-skiing, boating, fishing, and driving his vintage 1945 Jeep CJ2 were particularly enjoyable for him. There was always plenty of wood to chop and maintenance projects to do!

Traveling was his second passion. Appreciating the transformative power of travel, he and Suzanne visited all seven continents. Kayaking in the Antarctic Sea while an iceberg "calved" nearby was a definite highlight for Dave! They often traveled with two other C/S couples, nicknamed the "Six Pack" by some Canadian fellow travelers.
Dave will be remembered for his absolute integrity, compassion, composure, love of family, generosity of spirit, and strong work ethic. He used his God-given talents and surgical expertise to improve the lives of countless individuals. He was a very honorable man, and his was a life well-lived.

He leaves behind his wife Suzanne, daughter Mary DuBois Gnuse (David), son David Drake DuBois Jr. (Sarah), grandchildren David Drake DuBois III ("Chip") and Miss James Joslin DuBois, plus his sister, Joetta McClintock (Dr. James, deceased) and her family. He was pre-deceased by his parents.

Memorial Service, 1:00PM, Friday, July 14, 2023, First Lutheran Church, 1515 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907.

Memorial donations may be sent to First Lutheran Church, 1515 N. Cascade Ave., C/S 80907, or to the Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation, 2550 Tenderfoot Hill St., C/S 80906.