David Seaman Colville, M.D.

David Seaman Colville Obituary

David Seaman Colville, at 84 years, passed away in the early morning hours of September 7, 2024, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. 

Early Life and Education

David was the son of John Anderson Colville of Glasgow, Scotland, and Ruth E. Seaman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. David was raised by his mother, a reading teacher, as well as his aunts and grandmother. His father passed away when he was 5 years old. 

He grew up in Philadelphia where he also spent much of his time with the Cloud family who treated him like a second son. They helped foster his spiritual beliefs, as well as his interest in adventure and the outdoors. David was an Eagle Scout and an avid skier. After high school, he attended Dickinson College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. One night, while staring up at the ceiling of his dorm room, he was inspired to become a medical doctor. After graduation, he went on to Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and interned at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover, NH. While on the Dartmouth/Hitchcock campus, he met his wife of 58 years, Joyce Beryl Perkins. 

Military Service and Medical Career

After they married in November of 1967, he spent two years in the Navy during the Vietnam crisis. He never really talked much about this time in his life except to say he was on a boat, and there was a lot of water. After these years, he continued his medical education at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He was double boarded in the specialties of Internal Medicine and Nephrology. He served as a consultant and member of the staff of Mayo Clinic for 25 years. During this time, he and Joyce had four children Mark, Kimberly, Courtney, and Jon. His life was full as he taught his children to camp and ski, while instilling appreciation of the outdoors and the values of Christianity.

Community Service and Later Career

David was passionate about medicine and helping others. While at the Mayo Clinic, he served on several boards and programs, including Rochester Better Chance and Habitat for Humanity. He also went on several church mission trips. After leaving the Mayo Clinic, he worked in several different states and countries as a locum tenens physician. These years took him to the Badlands of South Dakota and Native American populations, to various prison systems, and to Japan. He enjoyed learning about all the people and places that his work and travel embraced. However, he always remained firmly planted with Rochester as his home base. 

Later Life

A large shift occurred in his life after the pandemic and a diagnosis of dementia. He was forced to stop practicing his beloved medicine and to give up his driving license and car. He chose to continue to remain living in Rochester even though Joyce relocated to the cities to be closer to their children and her work. 

David became one of the more colorful members at the Waters on Mayowood and enjoyed being part of a larger community. He made sure the trash room was well taken care of and became a regular at Bingo on Friday nights. He continued to help others in the building who could not do so for themselves and wanted to remain independent. Joyce did keep a close eye on him, and they could often be seen having lunch together on Mondays or Fridays after she had taught her water exercise classes at the Rochester Athletic Club. 

Family and Legacy

David was preceded in death by his parents, but is survived by his wife Joyce B. Perkins; son Mark Ian Colville of Eden Prairie and his children Sasha and Eva Colville; Mark's partner Samya White and her children Mila, Otis, and Winston; daughter Kimberly Colville and child, Bryan Whitney of Colchester, Vermont; daughter Courtney Colville and child Bennett Schmitt of Apple Valley, and son Jon Colville, wife Jenny Sippel and child, Dylan Colville, of Minneapolis, MN. 

David has chosen to donate his body to the Mayo Clinic for educational purposes, and to be interred in the Mayo Clinic vault at Oakwood Cemetery, Rochester, MN. 

Memorial Service

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 10:30 am, at Marion Road Christian Church, 4051 50th Ave. SE, Rochester, MN, 55904. All are invited and welcome to pay their respects in person or on the website. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to: 

1. YMCA Camp Olsen, Longville, MN. 
2. Bear Creek Christian Church, Rochester, MN.