David W. Doner Jr. M.D.

David W. Doner Jr. M.D. died unexpectedly in the early hours of October 13, 2020 at the age of 81. David was born on July 25, 1939. After High School he enlisted in the United States Army and completed officers' training and was certified in artillery for active duty. He continued in the reserves while pursuing his education and journey to becoming a physician. After attending Ohio State University and its College of Medicine, Dr. Doner completed his residency in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester in New York, and a fellowship in Nephrology at Boston University before joining the staff at Boston VA Hospital. He moved to Santa Barbara in 1978 and established his private Internal Medicine and Nephrology practice. He, along with his nephrology colleagues, started the Santa Barbara Artificial Kidney Center first at Cottage hospital then on upper State Street and finely opened the Lompoc Artificial Kidney Center in Lompoc where he was clinical director.

Dr. Doner always enjoyed teaching and was a strong proponent of education. He established scholarships at Santa Barbara City College in the area of Biological Sciences and the School of Nursing. He and his sister, Joy Doner Mazzeo, also set up a scholarship together at SBCC for students with learning challenges. 

Dr. Doner retired in 2010, and loved to travel, he also enjoyed music, dancing, walking, and meditation and was always ready to celebrate a special occasion with his family and friends or to help in the care of his loved ones when called upon.

David was affected by frontal lobe dementia in his last years. The last few years were challenging for David as someone who had always been active and loved to be around people. David enjoyed tennis lessons, piano lessons, lunch and dinner dates with his dearest friends and family and workouts at the gym and the Unity Church for choir practice and services for as long as he was able and until the Quarantine made it difficult to impossible for David to continue his activities. His death was not related to the Covid 19 pandemic. He never hesitated to reach out and engage with folks wherever he was. He left a hole in many circles and will be missed by so many that we couldn’t begin to list everyone, but we hope you know that you enriched his life as he tried to enrich yours.