Dr. Donald Theodore Lewers

Easton: Donald Theodore Lewers “Ted”, born on December 16, 1934 in Salisbury, MD, passed away on October 6, 2019 at the age of 84, after an 11-year journey with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was the first of his family to go to college and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1960, after spending a few years in the Army as a Medic in Alaska during the Korean War. He then realized his boyhood dream of becoming a physician when he moved on to the University of MD Medical School, graduating Cum Laude in 1964. He continued his training and started his professional career at Maryland General Hospital in Baltimore. Ted was proud to be appointed the First Chair of the Governor’s Commission for Kidney Disease in 1971 and was instrumental in the development of dialysis for the treatment of Renal Disease throughout Maryland. In 1975, he and his family moved back to his roots on the Eastern Shore where he was in private practice as an Internist with a specialty in Hypertension and Nephrology from 1975-2002. Concerned with the malpractice crisis affecting physicians in 1986, he became a lobbyist for the Maryland State Medical Society in Annapolis, later becoming its President. His desire to reach and help as many patients as possible led him to continue to serve in political medicine with the American Medical Association. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1993 and served as Chair of the Board in 1999 and 2000. His keen understanding of how malpractice suits and the cost of insurance impact physicians led him to serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors of Medical Mutual Liability Insurance Society of Maryland from 1996-2006. He retired in 2006. Ted grew up in Salisbury, MD and spent his summers in Chincoteague, VA, where his love for nature and the outdoors developed. As a young man in Salisbury, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, singing with a band, and playing football at Wicomico County High School. After moving back to the Eastern Shore, he spent as much of his time as he could hunting waterfowl in the winter and fishing from his boat appropriately named “On Call.” He showed his passion for conservation and nature through many volunteer hours with the Waterfowl Festival, Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, Ducks Unlimited, and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies. During retirement, he enjoyed playing golf with friends, growing oyster spat at the end of his dock in support of oyster restoration efforts, fishing with his grandsons on his new boat “Kingfisher” and putt-putting up and down the local rivers with Pat at sunset. Ted leaves behind his wife, Pat, whom he married after a whirlwind courtship that began while sledding at University of Maryland on Valentine’s Day. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Debbie, Linda (Mike), and Kim; 4 grandchildren, Amy (Evan), Michael, Matt, and Tre; one great-grandchild, Russell Lewers Stiegel; and his sister, June Terry. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 11:00 AM at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church 100 Peachblossom Road, Easton, MD 21601. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Waterfowl Chesapeake 40 S. Harrison St. Easton, MD 21601, the AMA Foundation 330 N. Wabash Ave. Suite 39300 Chicago, IL 60611, or St. Mark’s United Methodist Church 100 Peachblossom Road Easton, MD 21601.

Dr. Donald Theodore Lewers

December 16, 1934 - October 6, 2019