Dr. DeWitt Talmage Dabback

1925 - 2015

Dr. DeWitt Talmage Dabback, who spent 44 years as a beloved family physician caring for the Spring-Ford community, died on Friday in Phoenixville. He was 90.
Dr. Dabback lived an extraordinary life. He was born in 1925 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to David G. and Ruth (Haws) Dabback. His father was a minister who immigrated to the United States in 1896 from what is now modern-day Turkey.
Dr. Dabback attended Spring City High School and at the age of 17 enlisted in the United States Army. During training, he studied engineering at City College of New York for one year before deploying overseas. He served in the infantry in World War II in Belgium, England, France and Germany and fought at the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhineland. Upon completion of his service, he chose to study medicine, enrolling first at Ursinus College in Collegeville, and then earning his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.
While at Ursinus, Dr. Dabback volunteered to drive a young woman from Spring City to and from campus. This strong, whip-smart, charming young lady, Ruth Stewart, would become his partner in life, marrying him in July 1949 while he was in medical school. He and "Ruthie" were married for 62 years, until her death in 2011.
After he graduated from Jefferson in 1952, Dr. Dabback turned down a prestigious surgical residency to pursue family medicine, completing an internship at Methodist Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia and a residency at Phoenixville Hospital. He then joined a family practice in Royersford, which he later took over; Mrs. Dabback ran the office.
He also served as president of the medical staff at Phoenixville Hospital and was designated a charter fellow of the American Academy of Physicians in 1972. He also served as a school physician for the Spring-Ford School District, the Charles Johnson Home (now Parkhouse Nursing and Rehabilitation Center) and for various other companies in the Spring-Ford area.
Dr. Dabback is remembered by many patients for his empathetic bedside manner. One patient remembered that he was the kind of doctor "who touched my hand, looked right at me, and really listened to me."
A central part of his practice was obstetrics and he delivered almost 1,000 babies. He was also well known for his sense of humor both inside the hospital and out. In one patient note, he remarked: "Patient reports he feels like 'a million bucks'. Will charge accordingly."
His son John recalls Dr. Dabback taking him on hospital rounds when he was in second grade: "I got to see people who were unhappy, tired, and depressed. After a minute or two being with my dad they were happy, lively, and thrilled. He didn't do anything or say anything special. He just listened. He really cared. He wanted to know their story. He was a good doctor, but the extraordinary part was that he came 'to heal the broken hearted' (Luke 4:18)."
Dr. Dabback was also heavily involved in his community. He was an active member of St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, where he sang in the choir for almost 45 years, taught adult Sunday School, and served on the Call Committee. He was also President of the Council at Grace Lutheran Church in Royersford and served on the Royersford Planning Commission.
He and Mrs. Dabback loved to travel and filled their house with treasures from their adventures. During his free time he could be found mowing the grass and climbing trees to cut down branches. He enjoyed reading. He loved opera and classical music and could break out in song at any moment, clapping his hands and stamping his feet. He was a storyteller-occasionally telling the same story more than once. He had a distinctive style only he could have pulled off-patchwork, brightly colored pants, and bow ties were fashion staples. He and Ruthie were champions of progressive causes well before they became mainstream.
A major focus of family life in the summer was the pool, which Dr. Dabback had installed for hydrotherapy for Ruthie even though he couldn't swim. On one occasion, after having taken swimming lessons during a vacation, he decided to show off to his neighbors at a pool party. Saying, "Hey, I want to show you something," he dove into the pool and sank immediately to the bottom. After an uncomfortable length of time, someone exclaimed "Doc's in trouble!" and dove in to haul him out, gasping for air. It turns out he had taken lessons in a salt-water pool and had not anticipated the results of the loss of the additional buoyancy.
His large family was perhaps his greatest life's work. He died peacefully at Phoenixville Hospital surrounded by loved ones. He is survived by two daughters: Katherine, wife of Ernest Faust, of Royersford and Patricia, wife of Frederick Kaier, of Phoenixville; two sons: John, husband of Cynthia Dabback, of Pottstown and Peter, husband of Doré Dabback, of Phoenixville; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. One of six children, he is also survived by his devoted sister Ruth Ann. He will be missed by dozens of other family members and friends, including the family dog, Bowser.
The community is invited to attend his funeral service at St. James Lutheran Church, 93 Kugler Road, Limerick, PA 19468, on Saturday, December 5, 2015, at 11 a.m. with Bobbie Hoffman officiating. Interment will follow in the Limerick Garden of Memories. Friends will be received from 9-11 a.m. Saturday at the Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in DeWitt's name to the Dr. DeWitt Dabback Pastoral Care Fund at St. James Lutheran Church. Condolences may be offered online at www.RoyersfordFuneralHome.com