Remembering Dr. David Jones

A Tribute to Dr. David D. Jones, MD by Tyler J. Stoliker

Originally from Massachusetts, Dr. David Jones found his forever residence in Aroostook County, Maine, in 1981, where he began his practice of medicine. Following his medical training at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completion of the Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency Program, David was expertly suited to address the health needs of rural Northern Maine. Through his over 40 years of practice, David devoted his life to the benefit of others in a variety of areas, including outpatient primary care, emergency medicine, nursing home care, and hospice medicine. Through his clinical practice, David held numerous administrative roles in local healthcare facilities, volunteered his time to local non-profit organizations, and served on the Maine State Board of Licensure in Medicine.

My first memory of David was, in fact, as his patient. As he walked into the exam room, I immediately noticed his very colorful bow tie and, shortly after that, his matching socks. I only later learned that the dramatic contrast in these articles to his freshly pressed khakis and button-up shirt was no wardrobe malfunction but, over many years, had become a defining characteristic to patients and staff.

David will forever be known as “the bow tie doctor” to many of my current and former patients and colleagues.

David cherished the outdoors. While working late into the night in the Emergency Department, he began to share the work he had done in developing his property in Presque Isle, Maine. doctor, by day, David knew how to operate a rake and a shovel during his time out of the practice. He had an attraction, and some may argue an obsession, to oak trees.

Sleep deprived in the wee morning hours, as he spoke with such expertise in dendrology, I couldn’t help but laugh as no matter the effort, no oak tree that I ever planted ever grew to be thicker than a twig at its trunk. The first time I visited his home was awe-inspiring, as his rather lengthy driveway was showcased in perfect rows of individually planted, now mature oak trees. Stepping out of my vehicle, David walked down to greet me as I stared into the almost science-fiction level of perfection with which he had developed his property.

David was a farmer, a hunter, a trapper, and a fisherman—a true outdoorsman. Stories told of his trapping harvests were immediately verified by admiring the impeccable taxidermy hung proudly in his lakeside camp. Lessons he learned while tending to chickens in his early years in Maine were later shared confidently as I began a small farm of my own. While David took great pride in having many skills in the outdoors, he had a true passion for fishing. An outdoorsman myself, I commonly would accept hunting and fishing success stories with some degree of skepticism. On our first fishing adventure together, it became abundantly clear that the harvests David would speak of were not only possible but probable, armed with the wisdom nature bestowed upon him over the years.

"Did David sleep in this morning?” A friend and I sat on the frozen lake at sunrise, waiting for our prized catch to tip our flags after first light. A wake-up call to his cell phone always yielded the same response from the wise Dr. Jones: “The fish only start biting around 1:00 pm”. We would laugh and go on about our morning, only later to be greeted by David, who would promptly show up to his icehouse several hours after we did, yet always be more successful in the day’s catch. “An adequate fisherman,” David would call me as I sat there, frozen, and empty-handed.

Wisdom comes with time and experience. While I will forever carry the clinical lessons David taught over the years as his colleague, David taught as much about life, choices, family, and the art of being a good human being. Countless hours of listening to life lessons while at work, sitting by a fire, working on the land, sitting on the ice, the list goes on. David loved family with every ounce of his being. His wife, daughters, and six grandchildren (to name a few) were truly his pride and joy. David said, “If everything goes wrong from the moment you walk out the door in the morning, you’ll still have your family to go home to.”

Every person who has been blessed with spending time with David walked away a better human. David touched the lives of so many through his career in medicine, as well as outside of his professional life. In his final years, David had a tremendous passion for hospice and end-of-life care. He was incredibly proud to serve as the Medical Director for Northern Light Home Care and Hospice, skillfully offering comfort to patients and families during their most difficult days. As a consulting physician, David ensured that the impact of his expertise spread well beyond his individual practice, welcoming phone calls day or night to other healthcare providers needing guidance in his field.

In closing, a few final statements frequently expressed by the wise Dr. David Jones:

“It is okay to be scared.”

“Do not be overly hard on yourself.”

“Listen to what your heart is telling you.”

Trust your judgment.”

And last but not least,

“The fish only start biting around 1:00 pm”.

Rest easy, my dear friend.

Tyler J. Stoliker, FNP-C

Family Nurse Practitioner

Aroostook Hospice Foundation

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