Dr. David Robert Clemmons, thoughtful, funny and brilliant, died on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at his home in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was 78 years old.
Dave, known by many as “The Doc,” “Dr. Clemmons” or “Big D,” will be remembered for his inquisitive mind, sharp humor and tireless dedication to his work and family.
Dave was born in Nashville, TN, on May 19, 1947, to Robert Clemmons and Beatrice Winter. Along with his older sister, Lynne, he spent his childhood days playing many sports, becoming an Eagle Scout, delivering newspapers from his bike and playing the saxophone in his high school band.
Dave earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Davidson College before graduating with an M.D. with Honors from the UNC Chapel-Hill School of Medicine, which ignited his lifelong love for UNC Tar Heel athletics.
Following his medical degree, Dave embarked on a 50-plus year career in endocrinology. He spent his postgraduate years at Massachusetts General Hospital and Johns Hopkins before returning to Chapel Hill for a faculty appointment in 1980 as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. For over 40 years at UNC, he distinguished himself as a bold researcher, passionate physician and committed educator.
Among his many honors, Dave served as the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Medicine beginning in 1995; additionally, he served as President of the Pituitary Society and President of the Growth Hormone Research Society. He was Division Chief of Endocrinology at UNC from 1990-2006 and Associate Chair for Research, Department of Medicine, from 1997-2007.
A dedicated researcher who presented at conferences across the globe, Dave made significant contributions across many facets of endocrine research. He is widely regarded as one of the central architects of modern insulin-like growth factor (IGF) biology. Dave produced a body of work that became among the most cited in endocrinology and molecular medicine worldwide.
Equally significant was his translational impact on clinical endocrinology, especially in growth hormone disorders and acromegaly. Dave shaped the field institutionally and sustained NIH-funded investigative leadership spanning more than three decades; the NIH recognized his outstanding research with a prestigious merit award in 2004. His receipt of the Endocrine Society’s Aurbach Award and recognition as one of the world’s most cited physician-scientists reflected the breadth and durability of his influence on both basic and clinical endocrinology.
A prolific author who contributed to 350 scholarly publications and journals over a 54-year period, Dave continued to author and co-author studies right up until his unexpected passing (his final publication will be released posthumously). He served on multiple editorial boards, including being a long-term editor of Endocrinology and Endocrine Reviews.
Dave was a compassionate physician who always found time for a medical consultation, even if it was outside the field of endocrinology. Patients from across North Carolina often brought him homegrown tomatoes, North Carolina BBQ and other offerings of thanks for his expert and patient care. If a friend, family member, acquaintance – or even a stranger – asked for his medical advice, he always said ‘yes’ — and he was often credited with changing and correcting treatments that ultimately saved lives.
Dave retired from UNC in 2019, but never fully retired – he spent 1-2 days a week in his lab, continuing his research efforts. When not at the hospital, Dave loved working in his yard. On any given Saturday, neighbors could find him blowing leaves, mowing the lawn, trimming hedges or cutting tree branches. He also loved hiking-he dreamt of hiking the entirety of the Appalachian Trail, and some of his happiest moments were walking through the forests and woods of the world.
For fifty-five years, Dave shared his life with his beloved wife, Kathy, who he met in Nashville. They married in 1971 and loved everything from traveling to new places together to going for walks around the neighborhood. They built a full, wonderful life in Chapel Hill with their two daughters, Amy and Anna Katherine. Dave worked six days a week but always found time to play games at the pool with his girls, coach them in basketball and softball, and dash around the house after dinner, their own version of tag. Dave loved to take his daughters hiking and camping; he instilled in them passions for inquisitive learning, serving their communities, adventuring in the world and finding beauty in nature’s simplest things.
Dave loved singing hymns in church and listening to music (his story of meeting Elvis Presley was one of his favorites). He taught himself to play the clarinet and the saxophone. He was a voracious reader of everything from scientific journals to the daily print copy of his local newspaper. Dave loved UNC sports, particularly Tar Heel men’s basketball; he held season tickets for 30-plus years, and he rarely thought the referees made the right call.
In his last two decades of life, he relished being a grandfather to three rambunctious, fun-loving boys: Alden, Connor and Sam. He delighted in spending time with them, whether walking to the creek to skip rocks, playing rubber band wars, or body-surfing waves at the North Carolina coast. Whenever he heard, “Can you play with me, Pop Pop?” he never hesitated to say yes.
His mischievous grin, sly commentary, and love of a good fart joke endeared him to both strangers and friends. He loved a bowl of vanilla ice cream smothered in Hershey’s chocolate syrup and a good couch nap after dinner.
Everyone who encountered Dave will remember his keen intellect, kind smile and sharp wit. We will miss him forever. Dave is survived by his wife, Kathy, his two children, Amy (husband Thaddeus) and Anna Katherine (husband Matthew), and his three grandsons: Alden, Connor and Sam.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The American Diabetes Association (https://diabetes.org/) and the Blue Ridge Conservancy (https://blueridgeconservancy.org/).
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 16th at 11AM at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill.