James Ellis Dill ’63

James Ellis Dill ’63, 71, resident of Honolulu, Hawaii, and beloved husband, father, brother, Christian leader, and physician, died suddenly of a heart event on July 5, 2012. For almost 40 years, Dill dedicated his life to alleviating the physical and emotional suffering of countless patients. He and his wife, Bobbie, an RN, were among the first husband-wife Christian medical teams to establish a truly whole person medical practice. There, people found hope, as well as healing, because all components of health-physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational-were part of the treatment plan. In addition, he found time to publish numerous articles about his special interest area of diagnosing hidden gall bladder disease to alleviate the chronic pain of many patients. Dill and his wife also coauthored three books on healthy living with David B. Biebel, for which Dill received the 2011 Outstanding Writer’s Award at Straub Clinic and Hospital in Honolulu. He was born in Schenectady, N.Y., and graduated from Davidson and from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Va., in 1967. Dill married Roberta Titus Pain in 1966 and interned at University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pa., before serving in the U.S. Army and completing his residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. The majority of his time in private practice was spent in Massachusetts and Virginia as a board certified gastroenterologist before joining the staff at Straub Clinic and Hospital. While in Honolulu, he and his wife made a number of trips to American Samoa to serve the medical needs of patients after a tsunami devastated their island. His love of his family and friends, and of life itself, enriched us all. He leaves behind his loving wife of 46 years, Roberta “Bobbie” Dill, 2601 S. Minnesota Ave., Ste. 105, Sioux Falls, SD 57105; three children, Eric James Dill, Adam Frederick Dill, and Rachel Dill Roberson; as well as three granddaughters, Taylor Elizabeth, Kendal Morgan, and Amaya Mae. He also leaves behind his sister, Betsy Morgan Dill. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Ellis Dill, and mother, Louise Peck Dill. Dill was a vibrant Christian. He and his wife have been active in First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu. He is absent from the body but present with the Lord, and we rejoice in that certainty. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and patients, who loved and respected him in both Hawaii and the United States.