About Dave Kingston
WSU Makes First Award of Kingston Physics Fund
Today, Wright State's College of Science and Mathematics makes the first award of the Kingston Physics Fund to Andrea Yeager. In a ceremony at 2:30 pm (EDT) in the multipurpose room of the Student Union, all College scholarship recipients will receive a certificate. The ceremony will be attended by Dave's wife, Jan, his children, Michelle and Dave Jr., and his grandson, Andy Young.
The family thanks everyone who donated to the fund.
Service Details and Obituary
Below is a copy of the obituary that will appear in the Dayton and Fairborn papers on Thursday and Friday. It contains information about Dave's service on Saturday morning, a combination viewing and service.
Jan has asked a few people to prepare something to share at the service. She wants it to be lighthearted and a happy rememberance of him. Before the end, anyone else who wants to share will be given a chance to share a Dave story.
I hope to see and meet some of you on Saturday.
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David Lyman Kingston, 74, a retired research physicist at Wright Patterson AFB, died September 14th at Hospice of Dayton.
He was born in Lansing, Michigan on June 26, 1930, the son of the late Charles and Rosaline (Schafer) Kingston, and grew up in Haslett, Michigan where he met his wife of 50 years, Jan, while still in grade school. He attended Michigan State University, and graduated with a master’s degree in physics in 1954, the same year he and Jan were married. The next year, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant and reported for duty at the Aeronautical Research Lab (ARL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, which later merged into the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate where he conducted research in solid state physics, working on programs that contributed to the US space program and other Department of Defense projects. After completing his military service, Dave remained in his position as a civil servant until his retirement in March 1993, and then returned as a contractor until his retirement in December 2002.
Dave was active in the Fairborn, Ohio community, his home since 1958, serving on the City Council from 1977 to 1981, including time as the Deputy Mayor. He was active in the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, where he was instrumental in convincing the area governments to locate I-675 around Fairborn. He also served the City through the Planning Board, Tax Board of Appeals, and the 4th of July Festival committees, served on the Solid Waste Advisory Board for Greene County, and the Huffman Prairie League. A past president of the Fairborn Rotary Club, Dave received the Service to Mankind Award in 1983. Dave was a life member of the American Legion Dignam-Whitmore Post 526, the Fairborn Fraternal Order of Eagles Wright Aerie #2641, the Loyal Order of Moose, Dayton Lodge No 73 (Beavercreek), and the Fairborn Senior Citizens. He also belonged to the American Physical Society and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
Dave is survived by his wife, Jan; children Charlene Kingston of Gilbert, Arizona, Michelle (Ron) Jordan of Tipp City, Dave (Stacey) Kingston of Fairborn, Kevin Young of Fairborn; grandchildren Kyle and Andy Young of Fairborn, Amberlee and Autumn Fox of Fairborn; brother-in-law Bob Ebright of Lansing, Michigan; 2 nieces and 2 nephews.
Visitation and service will be held on Saturday, September 18th at Belton Funeral Home in Fairborn. Visitation will be from 10 am to noon, with service at noon followed by interment at Byron Cemetery.
The family wishes to thank the many health care workers who assisted Dave over the last 14 months from Dayton Heart Hospital, Grandview Hospital, Miami Valley Hospital, Rehabilitation Institute of Ohio, Hospice of Dayton, and Fidelity Home Care, especially Dr. Robert Cain, Dr. Benjamin Gilliotte, and family physician and friend, Dr. John Peterangelo of Fairborn. In addition, the family thanks the numerous friends and neighbors who provided invaluable support and encouragement through this time.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kingston Physics Fund scholarship fund at Wright State University by contacting the Wright State Foundation at 775-3327. Envelopes will be provided at the service.
Dave is at Rest
Dave passed last night at about 6 pm. He was surrounded by family and went peacefully, which is all that anyone can ask for a loved one.
The family is doing well, and we are very grateful to everyone who has supported Dave and us through this challenging time.
We are in the midst of making the many arrangements, and will update you here when the arrangements are made. Jan wants to have a single service that combines the viewing and service at Belton Funeral Home in Fairborn, followed by a brief interment service at Byron Cemetery. Both are located near I-675 and Dayton Yellow Spring Road.
We have also been in contact with Wright State and are making progress on Dave’s scholarship program. More details will be available soon.
We will also be contacting some of you to participate in Dave's service. Jan wants it to be lighthearted, with the sharing of your favorite Dave stories. He would not want us to be dwelling on the loss, but on the wonderful memories we have of his life.
We understand that you are grieving his passing as we are. We hope that the stories in the guestbook will help all of us to reach our peace, and to connect with others who loved Dave so we can find strength in each other and in his legacy.
Dave Going to Hospice
After 14 months of fighting hard, Dave is tired. In the last few days, it has become obvious to his family and the medical team that he doesn't have the strength to continue. Our goal now is make sure he is as comfortable as possible in the time he has remaining. At the advice of his medical team, we have asked to have Dave moved to the local hospice. It seems to be the remaining kindness we can offer him with our love.
We know this news hits each of you hard. We all love him and have wanted to see him regain his strength and independence. We have all wanted the best for him. It's a hard situation for everyone, we know.
Dave's family is asking you for a favor. We have added a guestbook to his website, and we would love to have you post your favorite Dave stories here to share with us and the rest of his friends. Please feel free to write as much or as little as you want, and to contribute as many stories as you would like. It is a great comfort to us in this time to hear what our Dad has meant to people who knew him. And we thank you in advance for your generous gift of these stories.
Jan has the idea of creating a scholarship for physics students at Wright State in Dave's honor. We are going to do this, and you will be hearing more about this project in the near future.
Please know that our hearts are with yours as we all feel this loss together. Your friendship and support has meant the world to us through this time, and we hope that our friendship will also help you with your loss.
Dave Gives the Docs a Mystery
Dave's doctor has decided that the reason Dave had the seizure is because the level of the anti-seizure medication, dilantin, was too low in his body. Now, he is getting this medication through an IV, and even now, the anti-seizure medication is too low. They can't figure out why they give him a dose and it doesn't show up in his body the way they expect it to.
There is another drug that presents a similar mystery. One of his heart medications, cumadin, is too high in his body after getting a dose.
The doctors are working on why this is happening. Obviously, he needs a certain level of each drug to avoid seizures and keep his heart happy. We expect that he will come home once they resolve these issues.
They have also switched Dave's liquid food that he gets through the g-tube to one with high fiber and protein. In a day or so, we should know how well Dave has adjusted to this change.
Dave Gets Tested
This morning, Dave had the barium x-ray test on his stomach to see how his stomach and the g-tube are working. Everything looked fine. The doctor decided to try one more test. So this afternoon, Dave had a scope down his throat to look at the stomach from a different direction. Again, everything is fine.
The doctor was trying to determine if part of the problem is either the g-tube or it's location. One alternative he was considering was moving the feeding tube from his stomach to his intestine, what they call a peg tube. But since everything is fine, and the stomach looks fine, the tube will not be moved. The doctor did replace the existing tubing with a slightly different type.
Dave at Dayton Heart Hospital
Update: The barium x-ray test will be given to Dave on Tuesday morning.
Sunday night, while Jan was giving Dave his last medications of the evening, he had a mild seizure. At the time, it was so different from his previous seizures that the paramedic thought he was having a mild heart attack. They took him to Dayton Heart Hospital, where they ran a battery of tests and determined that it was a seizure.
The other time Dave had the seizures, he immediately fell asleep after them, and slept for more than a day. But once they let the family back into the exam room in the ER, Dave was looking around and complained that he was cold. He was tired, and would rather not have been prodded and poked through the night. But he is alert and seems to be gliding through this episode.
You might remember that Dave has been on anti-seizure medication, and this should not have happened. The doctors believe that there is an absorption problem with his stomach tube that is preventing him from getting all of his medication and food. They have run a barium x-ray test on his stomach today, and based on the results of that, they may install a different stomach tube. We will know more later.
In the category of "It's a small world after all..." his nurse today is Tamika, who is one of the three nurses from his initial stay at Dayton Heart. She has kept in touch with us and has visited Dave more than once in other facilities. What a surprise it was that she was his nurse today. Also, his nurses aide today is Phyllis, who was his first nursing aide when he came home. She quit her home care job a few months back and took a job at Dayton Heart. As you can imagine, Jan is thrilled to have old friends in her and Dave's life today.
We don't know for sure when Dave will be home, but there is a chance that he could even be home later today, based on the test results and the action his doctors take. We'll update you here as we have more information.
No News is Still Good News
It's been many weeks since I've had enough information to really do an update. Over the last three weeks or so, Dave has been rebuilding his strength from the pressure wound surgery. Dave returned to see Dr. Pilati, his wound specialist, on Monday. He was pleased with the wound's progress. The wound is healing very nicely, and is about 1/3 of its original size. Dave can't sit up until it is fully healed, which means several more weeks flat on his back. His therapists are making the most of his limited mobility and are eager to have him up and about again. Plus, Dave will be thrilled to be able to move about the house and to get out into his yard.
Any surgery zaps your strength, and Dave has been resting quite a bit to get back to where he was before the surgery. He is most of the way there, but is still not speaking like he was, but his voice is getting stronger. His speech therapist, Heather, has him chewing ice chips and even had him chewing gum a week ago. He really liked that.
There are a few more doctor visits on the horizon, and I'll keep you updated as news comes in from them.
It's Been A Year
Today is the one-year anniversary of Dave's bypass surgery and the start of his health journey. It's an obvious day to reflect back on where we've been, where things stand today, and the outlook for the future.
As this day approached, I talked with Jan about what we could do as a family to turn this milestone into a day of celebration. We have a lot to be thankful for, and we have always chosen to look at the sunny side and to look for the silver linings in the clouds. The other things happen, we react to them, and we do our best to let them go right past us. To do anything less would be to ignore the wonders of life and the gifts that appear in everyday living. This day, more than most in our lives, gives us the opportunity to do that. We haven't decided yet how to incorporate this date into our family traditions, but it certainly has many possibilities. It's a year that we've had Dave with us that is against all of the odds, and so it marks the start of another era for our family.
The greatest joy of the past month is the huge improvement in Dave's recovery. For months, we have watched with microscopes for small signs of improvement, and taken encouragement from them. So we were not expecting to see such huge steps of improvement coming so quickly together. In spite of his recent two hospitalizations, Dave appears to be well on the road to recovery. He's awake nearly the whole day. He's talking a lot, speaking in sentences, and even starting conversations. He's bored of his bed in the living room, and as always, he wants to be up and walking. With these recent changes, his personality is back in full force.
There is still a road before us. We have no idea what pace his recovery will continue to take, but we know he is determined to recover. We also know that unexpected hiccups can occur at any time, but we have also watched him endure these times and return to making progress over time. We can only hope that his strength and determination continue to serve him as we travel this road with him.
I would wish that no one else ever had to go through the kind of challenges Dave and the family have been through. But illness is a part of life, and family is at the heart of each person's daily living. So instead of wishing for something impossible, I would wish for everyone facing these challenges the best of the compassion we have received from our family, friends, and caregivers in abundance. I would also wish for dedicated caregivers, people who love their work and strive to find solutions for every challenge and ways around every obstacle. We have been fortunate to have plenty of both coming into our lives in the last year, and we wouldn't be here today without it.
When life throughs a curve ball, we are given a chance to re-evaluate our individual goals and patterns of decisions. Everyone reacts to changes and challenges in a different way, and we all incorporate grieving into living in personal ways. I think of my nieces and nephews and the challenges to their young hearts and minds as they have watched this year play out. I see the decisive actions of my siblings and Mom, and I hear their honest words as we work together on the day's events. And I see the amazing contributions made by friends, especially those of you reading this, and I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. No small act goes unnoticed in our world. We may not have stopped to thank you, but we have noticed your gifts. So let me take this opportunity to thank you for taking this journey with us. You've made it a bit easier for us.
The future is always uncertain, but we are grateful to be facing it surrounded by our family and friends. And we look forward to measuring and reporting Dave's progress in the days and weeks to come.
Dave is Home
I'm sorry that I'm so late in posting this news.
Dave came home on Tuesday afternoon from Miami Valley. His original antibiotic was exchanges for a new one that he must take for an additional 10 days. He is also on anti-seizure medication for a year, just in case. But except for these small changes, he is doing just as well as he was before this episode started almost a week ago.
Give Jan a few days to get the schedule back in synch before you visit. But by the weekend, visitors will be welcome again. The days are so full of caregivers that it is best that you plan to arrive after 4 pm. If you have an unusual situation, call Jan and see if you can come at an earlier time. She will do her best to accomodate all of Dave's friends.
