David Harding Humphreys
May 9, 1947 ~ May 22, 2016
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
David Harding Humphreys passed away in the early morning on Sunday May 22, from complications of cancer.
Dr. Humphreys practiced plastic and reconstructive surgery in Asheville for thirty years.
Dr. Humphreys was born in 1947 to John Sanford Humphreys, an architect, and Leonie Kinsley Harding, a largely self-educated woman who encouraged David to pursue higher education. Both the Humphreys and Harding families had deep roots in New England, and throughout his youth David spent the summer with his extended family in southern Vermont.
As a teenager at the Trinity School in New York he excelled in languages and history. He matriculated in the great books program at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1970. He went on to study medicine at the University of Cincinnati.
While in medical school, Dr. Humphreys developed an interest in surgery, and later trained in otorhinolaryngology. During his residency in Houston, Texas, he became increasingly interested in the aesthetic side of medicine, and changed tracks to plastic surgery. Dr. Humphreys initially specialized in birth defects, and authored a number of research articles on cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.
Relocating to Asheville in 1986, Dr. Humphreys entered into private practice at the Plastic Surgery Center. He performed surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital and at Mission Hospital, and in later years at the Asheville Surgery Center.
Dr. Humphreys passed away at home surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife, Donna Plemmons Humphreys, and by his four adult children from a previous marriage, Justin Heller Humphreys, Samuel Barnes Humphreys, Nathaniel Harding Humphreys, and Nicholas Menzel Humphreys.
A visitation for the community will be held at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue on Saturday May 28th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made to St. John's College, Annapolis at the following address: St. John's College Advancement Gifts, PO Box 37597, Baltimore, MD 21297-3597 or by phone: 410-626-2507. Please include in the memo: "In honor of David Humphreys A70".
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Dr Humpreys was always a ray of sunshine in my day!!! He always made me feel part of the surgery center family….. He was generous and kind. I will be praying for his wife and children….he will be missed
Dearest Donna, my prayers for you and the family.
Donna and family ,I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Dr. Humphreys. My thoughts and prayers are with you. May God surround you with his peace and love.
Praying for you Donna and the family as you all go through this time .
So sorry to hear of the passage of Dr Humphreys. Prayers of peace for Donna and his sons.
Donna, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Praying for peace and comfort.
So sorry to hear of David’s passing. I loved working with him.
So sorry to hear of Dr Humphreys’s passing–He was such a JOY to work with..prayers for his family
Prayers for comfort for your family Donna. David will be sorely missed-he had a huge impact on many people
Praying for strength and comfort for this amazing family.
I always enjoyed working with Dr. Humphreys and Tammy, his personal scrub nurse. My prayers are with the family in this time of sadness.
Donna, I cannot express how sorry we are. Please know that you are in our thoughts. Sending you our love.
Prayers for you Donna. I am so sorry to hear of your loss.
Donna,
So sorry for the loss of your husband. Our prayers will be with you and your family.
I’m so sorry for your loss Donna. You are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. I really enjoyed working with both of you.
donna I cannot express what you must be going through our hurtful hearts ache with you and your family ,,its hard to forget someone that has taken care of patients like me.. who gave them something to remember.. the sunshine he brought to others and how he would make you smile after his healing hands made us feel beautiful again he will sorely be missed .donna me and my husband thought the world of Dr. Humphrey he did so so much for me and other patients.. when I was at my lowest point and he would build my confident back up he will sorely be missed by patients like me love you always he will never be forgotten donna. his spirit will live on forever. When you feel that breeze from the wind on your cheek that’s him saying hello.
So saddened to hear of Dr. Humphreys’ passing. I fondly recall our days in the OR together. I will never hear Ann Murray, Bobby Vinton, or Petula Clark without thinking of him. He was always so pleased when we knew who was playing! Donna, I pray that your memories of your time together bring you comfort in this time of sorrow.
Donna, sympathy and prayers to you and the family.
So sorry for your loss. May your fond memories comfort you in this difficult time. I always enjoyed my days in Dr Humphreys room at ASC.
So sorry to hear of Dr. Humphreys passing. My prayers for his family.
I am so sorry to here about Dr. Humphrey, I will for ever be grateful for what he did for my son when he was 11 years old. I will keep the family in my prayers.
Donna, I am truly sorry to hear of Dr. Humphreys’ passing. My prayers and thoughts are with you and the family during this sorrowful time. I loved working with him on 7nth at St Josephs during the 80’s and 90’s. This is such a huge loss to the community. He was a great physician. My family member came from Chattanooga to Asheville for her procedures to be done by him, ‘that is how much I thought of him’. I did not want anyone else to do her procedures. Turn to God for support, he will help you during this sorrowful time. .
He will be missed so much!! I’m so sad!! I didn’t even know. He was truly a great person and Dr!! Prayers with family and the people he worked with also!!
Dear Donna , I am so sorry for your loss. May God bring you comfort and take away the sadness in your heart . With sympathy Charlotte
I am so, so sorry to hear. He was such a wonderful surgeon, Doctor, and person. This makes me so sad to hear. He was there during my Cancer surgery and reconstruction. So sorry for the family’s loss.
I am so sorry for your loss Donna and family.
Dr. Humphreys was an Amazing surgeon!! Bruce and I considered him a good friend as well. He will be deeply missed. Our condolences to his wife and family during this difficult time. Our prayers are with you. xx
Countless patients come to mind who owed a great deal to Dr. Humphreys’ skill and compassion. He will be missed by his colleagues in the medical community.
Dear Donna, I have a heavy heart right now. So sorry to hear of Dr. Humphrey’s illness and passing. I am happy and thankful I did get to spend some special time with the two of you. I am here for you if you need me for anything. I love you
Dear Humphrey family,
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Humphrey. I was a patient of his on two occasions and was over whelmed by the level of care and compassion he had with me as a patient. He will truly be missed by many patients like me.
Donna I am so sorry to hear this very sad news. I hope the memories help ease the pain. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Donna my heart and prayers are with you. There are no words! Love you!
Donna,my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
David you were a great travelling companion and friend the world is a lesser place today without you. thank you for enhancing my life with your friendship
My sincere condolences donna I wish you strength and send my love
Helen murphy
great friend and gentleman surgeon
Dr. Humphreys has always been so special to me in my life. I was a patient of his for 28yrs. I always told him how special he was to me. I would look at him straight in his eyes and tell him that I truly loved him . He would blush and answer me back ‘I love you too.” He was such an amazing man with a kind heart and such a great bedside manner. When I was going to have one of my surgery’s my daughter wanted to know if she could go in and observe. He told me he wouldn’t mind, but the hospital wouldn’t allow it because I was family, but he said she could go in with him anytime over the summer before she went off to college to go to medical school. How many Doctors would care enough to do that! I truly felt so honored to have known such a great man. I am so sad that that he suffered with his cancer. He did not deserve what he was left to deal with. I am so sorry for his wife and children. He will be greatly missed. I am sad Dr. Humphrey’s and I love you!
I am so sorry for your loss. I am sure your gentle presence comforted him.
Dr Humphries was a generous physican and supportive colleague , frequently available to evaluate complicated wounds in pediatric patients regardless of his busy schedule.
He continued to teach and advise fellow physicians imparting bits of humor and wisdom along the way.
We will miss you.
Thinking of Dr. Humphrey’s family and friends. So sorry for the loss of a gifted surgeon and a special person in our lives. So many hours over the years working in the OR with him and with Tammy. Always a nice day…doing good work and listening to the music from times gone by. May you be comforted by happy memories.
I’m so sorry to hear this about about my awesome
Dr Humphrey’s. I’m so thankful for what he did for
me. May god be with all his family during such a
difficult time.
So sorry to hear of his passing. Last memory of seeing him at the ASC on his last day. He was so happy. Donna my prayers are with you. He was a great surgeon and will be missed .
An amazing physician and supporter of not only my, but my mother’s, peace of mind. I am forever grateful to his excellence as a doctor, and will miss knowing he’s in this world.
Donna and Family, I was so sorry to hear of Dr. Humphrey’s illness and death. May God give you His strength and grace for this time and in the days to come. May He preserve all those good memories of him.
Dr Humphries family, so sorry for your loss. He was always very kind to me . I used to work at ASC . You all are in my prayers. God Bless you . May you find comfort. Teresa Rhinehart
Donna, we were so saddened to hear of Dr.Humphreys passing. He was a kind, caring surgeon, and his patients loved him. We will continue to lift you and the family up in Prayers. The days ahead will be tough-but just cherish all the memories that you and Dr. Humphreys have made together.
Sorry for your loss…He was a great surgeon and friend…
I’m sorry for your family for the tremendous loss of Dr. Humphrey. I worked at Mission for 35 years and had worked with him quite often. He always was so kind and respectful to nurses and had a fabulous bedside manner. He will be truly missed and I wish you all the best
We are saddened to hear of Dr. Humphreys’ untimely passing. He was a caring physician who so skillfully treated us. What a great loss to the Asheville medical community.
Donna,
I’m so sorry for your loss. My thoughts & prayers are with you.
I had the immense pleasure of seeing David, and meeting his wife and some of his children, at our 50th high school reunion last year. I had not seen David since high school. David and I attended the same schools, often in the same classes, from first grade all the way through 12th grade. I have vivid memories of him at every stage of our shared youthful development: a wonderful fellow: gentle, loyal, smart, kind, resilient, and determined. I was grateful to have had a chance to see him again, to hear of how he had spent the many years since last we met, and simply to have shaken his hand, given him a hug remembering all those shared years ago, and to see his family. From the Catullus poem firmly residing in the memories of David an me, and on behalf of all his classmates at P.S. # 6, and Trinity School, David:
‘Accept, by custom, what a brother’s tears drown,
and, for eternity, Brother, Hail and Farewell’.
David always had a smile and a kind word. What a blessing to have known him. David and Donna belong to our group of friends who have cruised the world together. We have enjoyed life and will cherish our memories. Donna, we love you….