Dr. John David Sabow

1940 - 2024

Dr. John David Sabow

RAPID CITY - Dr. John David Sabow, aka "David", "Doc", or "Dad" to those who knew him, passed peacefully in his home in Rapid City, SD on February 21, 2024.

In the month leading up to his departure, David had a constant stream of visitors from every walk of life - a testament to the love he gave the world, and the diversity of the life he lived.

David made his earthly debut on September 17, 1940, in Pittsburgh, PA. Raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, David and his two brothers, Tom, and Jimmy, enjoyed what could only be described as an idyllic childhood, with loving parents, a close community, and summers spent at their beloved summer cottage in Deerbrook, Canada.

It was in Deerbrook that David and his brothers discovered the finer points of being young men - they fished, camped, jumped off bridges, water skied, and generally terrorized the Canadians. From the stories told, it would seem David's parents espoused a Lord of the Flies philosophy to raising children, which fostered adventure, self-reliance, and a strong and enduring love between David and his brothers. David attended Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh where he excelled academically and discovered a love of football, a talent which eventually led him to the Virginia Military Institute where he started as a linebacker as a freshman.

Between his Junior and Senior year of college David's life changed forever when a waterskiing accident resulted in a broken neck. David spent six months in the hospital without moving, and he was told he would never walk again - this was the beginning of a David's tendency to disregard instructions. Following his accident, David did begin to regain some movement, he returned to the Deerbrook cottage where he spent the summer trying to walk again. His brother Jimmy spent the entire summer with him, helping him secure specialized leg braces, encouraging him up when he fell, and nurturing him back to independence with a unique combination of tough love and gin and tonics. This summer created an especially deep bond between David and Jimmy, a love and friendship that would endure for the rest of their respective lives.

With football a distant memory, David transferred to Georgetown University, where Jimmy was a student, to continue his pre-med studies. David took his medical entrance exams and scored so highly that he was accepted into Jefferson Medical School at the end of his Junior year - he went straight to medical school and never did secure his Undergraduate degree (a fact his family enjoyed reminding him of with regularity). David pursued Neurology (a rigorous specialty but one quite appropriate given his paralysis), and became the first Neurologist in the State of South Dakota.

Over the course of his career David helped thousands of people with neurodegenerative disease, and was a beacon of hope for so many others who had experienced paralysis - he showed them that life goes forward, and that you don't need to listen to people who tell you something is impossible. According to David's life philosophy, something may be incredibly difficult, but that did not mean it was impossible. This was part of David's beauty - to see people without labels, and to view life as a journey without limitations.

And speaking of beauty, while completing his neurological residency in Minnesota David uttered three words that changed his life forever - "how's the water?" Clearly a suave delivery was not a trait that ran deeply through the Sabow gene pool, but these may have been the most important words he ever said. Somehow David convinced the young, brilliant and gorgeous Andrea Gould that she should spend her life with a balding, disabled, sometimes excessively stubborn man - an incredibly difficult sales pitch, but apparently not impossible. And so began the partnership between Andrea and David - a partnership that spanned 52 years and created a foundation for joy and for all that David was to accomplish in the decades that followed.

Andrea and David created a beautiful life together - full of highs, lows, moments of raw sadness, moments of raw joy. They raised three children in Rapid City, SD. They were devoted to one another, and shared an incredible faith and spirituality that became their light and foundation.

Beyond his core Neurology practice, David and his wife, Andrea always had a few side hustles in play, ranging from real estate projects (those in Rapid City reading this will remember the "arches" on Cathedral Drive that mysteriously disappeared), as well as starting the Firehouse Restaurant (now the Firehouse Brewing Co. in Rapid City). David also brought the first hyperbaric oxygen chambers to South Dakota.

A defining moment in David's life came when his brother Jimmy was killed in 1991. For the rest of his life, David devoted much of his financial resources and intellectual prowess to seeking justice for his brother. Despite protests from his friends and family, David was unwavering in this pursuit of justice, and went to lengths that defied all logic. His stubbornness and determination drove his family and friends crazy at times, but it was also what enabled David to walk, to marry Andrea, and to help thousands of patients as a Neurologist. David's life is a reminder that when you love someone, you love all of them, not just the parts you agree with.

In a life full of inspiration and passion, David saved his best for last as he spent Andrea's last years caring for her as she battled Alzheimer's. The patience, care, and devotion he brought to Andrea as she struggled with this disease was beyond beautiful. Andrea brought to David unwavering love, kindness, empathy, and immense patience - she took care of him throughout their life together. In the end, David took care of her, not reluctantly, but with a passion, commitment, and devotion that all of us should be so lucky to experience at some point on our journeys.

If you made it this far, I will leave you with this. David lived an asymmetric life that defied all odds. Despite a life of constant physical pain and hardship, he radiated positivity, was an optimist, a friend, and an inspiration to so many. His life was not linear or predictable, he did not play it safe, and he did not go with the flow. Whether we are old, young, rich, poor, able-bodied, or disabled, David's life is a reminder that happiness and kindness are choices, and when we choose them, we will change the world for all those we come across. His life is a reminder that we should be bold in forging our own paths - as Dad would tell you, the path may be difficult, but don't believe for a second that it is impossible.

David is survived by his children: Heidi (David) Kadletz, Heather Sabow and David (Alexis) Sabow; his grandchildren: Sam and Ben Sabow, Mia Sabow, Muriel, Audrey and Camryn Kadletz, Jackson, Drake and Elise Sabow; his sisters-in-law: Terri (Carmelo) Bianca, Sally Sabow-Olyphant, Patty Sabow; his brothers-in-law: John (Sue) Gould, Mike (Marnie) Gould, Frank (Sharon) Gould, David Muckala; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Previously departed loved ones include Andrea K. Sabow; his parents, L. Thomas "Uppy" and Vera Sabow; brothers: Tom Sabow and Jimmy Sabow.

We will be celebrating this remarkable husband, father, brother, friend, and doctor on April 6, 2024 at 2:00 PM at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 520 Cathedral Drive, Rapid City, SD. A reception will follow, beginning at 3:30 PM at the Firehouse Brewing Company.

For those so inclined, please consider making a donation in David's honor to Black Hills Ski For Light - https://www.bhsfl.org.

And lastly, if you are reading this and happen to be an Administrator at Georgetown, I know my Dad would still appreciate that diploma.