David Mouw

August 22, 1942 ~ February 12, 2024
Born in:
Grand Rapids, MI
Resided in:
Chapel Hill, NC
David Mouw, age 81, died on February 12, 2024, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dave believed he had the best of lives; that never before in the history of the world, or maybe in the Universe, had a sentient creature lived in such a wonderful place. At age 40, he started saying that if he dropped dead tomorrow, he’d have nothing to complain about. So don’t weep, he had a good run.
Dave was born on August 22, 1942, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where he met Karen Voskuil; they married for life on June 6, 1964 (“the best day of his life”) just after college graduation. Dave was primarily a teacher; after getting his PhD in human physiology at the University of Michigan in 1969, he taught physiology at Michigan Medical School from 1971-1981. In 1983 he completed an MD from Michigan, and after a Family Practice Residency in Yellow Springs Ohio, and obtaining additional credentials in Geriatrics, he worked as a rural family doctor/geriatrician in Robbinsville, NC, from 1986-1996. His third and final 10 year career was at the MAHEC residency program in Asheville, where he taught, and provided patient care, from 1997 until his retirement in 2007.
Dave is survived by his wife Karen; his son, Ted and daughter-in-law, Sheri Mouw, of Chapel Hill; his daughter, Jean Robinson, of Minneapolis, MN; six grandchildren (Arthur, Ella, Clara and Lucy of Chapel Hill; Collin and Imon of Minneapolis); and two siblings, Dirk and Sally Mouw of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dave enjoyed lots of things: activities with Karen or his children and grandchildren, finding a wildflower, catching a fish, sleeping in a tent during a rain, finding a sea shell, reading a good quote, encouraging someone, and teaching situations of all types and ages, ranging from volunteer teaching in grade schools to retirees at the UNCA College for Seniors.
Some of Dave’s best years were: two one-year stints in Australia doing physiology research, a decade teaching the miracles of the human body to U of Michigan undergraduates, another decade teaching family practice residents at MAHEC and many years of part time volunteer work, teaching natural history to Ann Arbor and Asheville grade school children.
In lieu of flowers, etc., please make a donation to the Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) to help improve humankind’s low odds of surviving the disaster we’ve made out of this incredible and beautiful world.
Dave’s favorite author was Loren Eiseley. On his gravestone the epitaph is: “We loved the earth but could not stay” the same applies to Dave.
A memorial service will be held at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. in Asheville at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. A reception will follow. Contact Ted Mouw ( tedmouw@email.unc.edu ) if you have any questions.
Services
Memorial Service: June 15, 2024 2:00 pm
Groce Funeral Home - Patton Ave.
1401 Patton Ave.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828)252-3535
http://www.grocefuneralhome.com
He was always supportive of our choir at Elizabeth Chapel and I was thankful when he sang with us.
Love and prayers,
Gail Powell
I was so lucky to have Dave as a close mentor in residency. He was truly a person you could model your life by. I learned a lot from him about medicine, but more importantly about how to treat other people. Such a sweet man.
I met David when I worked at Jubilee! church. In fact, when he was a Board member, he asked me to put the meeting at his house on my calendar MONTHS in advance…he really, really wanted to be sure that I didn’t miss his kinda-famous salmon dinner. David was always so positive and so committed to the wellbeing of the earth and the people on it. I always admired all those years he spent serving the Robbinsville community. What a gift he was to so many of us! May you find joy and peace and love and humor in your memories of him.
We are saddened to hear of Dr. Mouw’s passing. He was a wonderful physician and friend in the time he was living and practicing medicine in Graham County. I remember chaperoning a cast party with him at the parsonage when Jean was a student in my English class and we put on the senior play. He was always interested and involved in aspects of the community, and we are all better people for having known him. Prayers for peace and comfort.
Excerpt from Facebook: “This good….good man has gone from our midst but not our hearts. Dr. David Mouw, physician, teacher, traveler, advocate, and our beloved brother-in-law died Feb. 12 in North Carolina. He was a tireless listener, patient and kind, open and frank, ready to help wherever he could, and did it with love for family, friends and the people he was always trying to heal. That was my experience and I am forever grateful for knowing David Mouw. He had a rigorous concern for humanity and the planet and how to navigate this life. And he wanted to stay as long as possible. But he was the first of Duane’s sibling family and spouses to leave. He is my dear one.
Dave was a gifted physician and esteemed by friends and family alike. He was not born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the military base where his father served as an army doctor during World War II. Dave will be sorely missed. He was a caring, compassionate human being with a warm heart.
Dr. Mouw was a wonderful friend and my tireless cheerleader. I met him at Jubilee when he gave me a book of quotes to help me with find quotes for the Jubilee bulletin. He was always complimenting on my gifts of dance at Jubilee and the quotes I submitted. He asked me to dance at his retirement party, which I was incredibly honored and delighted to oblige. Yet, he always thanked me and said it was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him. I was sure that he had a wealth of people who did nice things for him, but I felt so special. I’m so grateful that I had the privilege to have Dr. Mouw in my love. Thank you.
What a terrific mentor, advisor, and friend Dr Mouw was to me as a young resident in Family Medicine. His curiosity and dogged attention to detail helped me learn best practices fir my own career.
We worked together throughout my residency 2003-2006. and he was instrumental in getting us a sand volleyball court which was my sport! We had so much fun!!! Love that man❤️