- Date Of Birth: Jan. 28, 1926
- Date Of Death: December 12, 2013
- State: Indiana
Dr. William Henry Atwood Jr., 87, of Elkhart, passed away in the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013, in his home.
He was born Jan. 28, 1926, in Whitefish Bay, Wis., and was the fourth child of the late William Henry Sr. and Ida Mae (De Weerd) Atwood.
In 1943, he graduated from Whitefish Bay High School. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army with the First Calvary Division during World War II in the Philippines and Tokyo, Japan, where he achieved the rank of sergeant. He also served with the 135th Medical Battalion, which was part of the 32nd Infantry Division of the Wisconsin National Guard.
After the war, he studied at the Milwaukee State Teacher’s College (now the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics and a medical degree in 1955. He interned at Milwaukee County Hospital and served his residency in internal medicine at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, Wis.
In 1959, Dr. Atwood began his medical practice in internal medicine at the Elkhart Clinic. He was a member of the Elkhart General Hospital staff, where he served as chief of staff in 1984. He was a member of the Elkhart County Medical Society and was a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. Upon retirement from his internal medicine practice, he continued working part-time in occupational medicine at the Elkhart Clinic and later at U.S. Healthworks in Elkhart.
He continued to serve his community by volunteering at Heart City Health Center, Church Community Services and serving as a board member for Riverview Adult Day Center. He was a member of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Over-The-Hill Gang ski club, Junto and Algonquins. Throughout his adult life he was an avid runner, tennis player and snow skier. He was active throughout his 70s, with regular jogging, rowing, kayaking and sailing on the St. Joseph River. He also enjoyed creating stained glass art projects.
He is survived by his wife, Janice (Auchtung) of Elkhart; sons William Atwood of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., David (Robyn) Atwood of Berwyn, Pa., and Thomas Atwood of Pasadena, Calif.; daughters Jane (Alan) Singletary of Austin, Texas, and Amy (Tom) Kuzmic of Granger; grandchildren Allison, Elizabeth, Kiley, John, Helen, Madison and Katherine; and his sister, Carol Schulenberg of Cedarburg, Wis.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Joan McKerley; his brother, George Atwood; and sisters Helen Johnson and Ruth Kendall.
In accordance with his wishes, Dr. Atwood’s remains have been donated to the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
