Jon David duBois

April 06, 2008 02:12 am

— Jon David duBois, M.D., 48, of Stillwater, beloved son of Ron Perry duBois and Thora Solveig (Asgeirson) duBois, died Thursday, April 3, 2008 at Stillwater Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Stillwater with the Rev. Carol Fincher officiating.
Jon was born Sept. 15, 1959 in Lindsborg, Kan., and grew up in Stillwater, graduating from C.E. Donart High School in 1977. While in high school he was active in band and was a member of the swimming team and the Stillwater Aquatic Club. He spent his summers with his family on Lake Winnipeg, north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, his mother’s hometown.
He attended Oklahoma State University and graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May 1988 with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. His love of film led him to UCLA in the fall of 1989 to work on a master’s degree in film animation and, later, computer animation. He returned to Oklahoma in the fall of 1990 to attend the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in computer science. For several years, he worked off and on for KFOR Channel 4 in Oklahoma City as a computer graphics artist for the 10 p.m. news.
As a software engineer and owner of duBois Animation, he designed and marketed a 3-dimensional graphics and animation program called Animatrix 3 Designer. It can be viewed at www.duanim.com. While developing the program, he worked for Spectro Fax Co., in Naples, Fla., where he flew around the country setting up fax systems for other companies. He later worked with a medical professional to refine Animatrix 3 Designer for use in brain surgery. In 1995, he traveled to Barcelona, Spain to learn Spanish at the Language Institute, and to investigate the medical program at the university.
In 1999, he began his first two years of medical school at the Guadalajara Medical School in Mexico. In 2001, he was accepted into the Tulane University School of Medicine and graduated with an M.D. in 2004. He was later accepted into the Family Medicine Program at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, La., and was a member of the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians.
He was diagnosed with myelodysplasia (a precursor to leukemia) in 2004. He had completed about half of his residency when his illness forced him to take an indefinite leave of absence in 2006.
Jon valiantly fought the disease, which had progressed to leukemia last year. He continued to work and tried to stay as fit as possible. He loved watching movies and practicing his electric guitar, at which he became quite proficient. Dr. duBois was in the process of setting up a private practice in Tulsa at the time of his death.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Henry Augustus and Beatrice E. (Van Fleet) duBois and Jon and Oddny Hansina (Lilliendahl) Asgeirson; nine uncles, Allen duBois, John Jay duBois, Phillip duBois, Archie Asgeirson, George Asgeirson, Paul Asgeirson, Tom Borden, Bill Mavity, and Skafti “Scotty” Borgford; six aunts, Thelma (duBois) Borden, Ellen (Simison) Asgeirson, Marjorie (Innis) Asgeirson, Gladys (Brynjolfson) Asgeirson, Hrefna “Edna” (Asgeirson) Borgford, and Joan (Asgeirson) Parr.
He is survived by his parents, Ron and Thora duBois of Stillwater; three brothers, Paul Ron duBois and his wife Jeanette of Arlington, Va., Marc Thorsten duBois of Tulsa, and Peter Jay duBois of Stillwater; one niece, Christy Knott Gordon of Edmond; two uncles, David duBois and his wife Pat of Coarsegold, Calif., and Jack Parr of Winnipeg, Canada; and four aunts, Janne (duBois) Mavity of Miami, Fla., Marjorie duBois of Phoenix, and Beverly Kelly of California; and Margo duBois of Reno, Nev.; and many loving cousins.
Jon will be dearly missed by his entire family in the United States, Canada and Iceland and by his loyal friends, including Kathleen Coyle and Bobby Jordan of New Orleans., among many others.
Memorial contributions may be made in his name to American Cancer Society, c/o Patrick F. Taylor Hope Lodge, 2609 River Road, New Orleans, 70121.