Remembering Dr. James William Daskalos

James William Daskalos, D.O., was unexpectedly taken from this world on May 24, 2022, in Oro Valley, Arizona, while he was visiting his desert vacation home. He was an active physician in Oregon for 53 years, 44 of which he has been a resident of and a practicing doctor in Roseburg, Oregon. His entire medical career was devoted to giving, teaching, and improving medical care for the people of the two counties he loved, Tillamook and Douglas. Dr. Daskalos was born to William Ross and Charlotte Barbara (Cowles) Daskalos in Portland, Oregon in 1943. He was raised in Portland through high school having attended Holy Redeemer Grade School where he was chosen as a Junior Rose Festival Prince. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1961. He made many lifelong friends playing both football and baseball as well as holding numerous class offices. Gonzaga University was his college of choice and he enjoyed two years there before deciding to transfer to the University of Portland. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1966. Dr. Daskalos received his training as an osteopathic physician from Kirksville Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery University in Kirksville, Missouri. His senior paper on ‘Disseminated Vascular Coagulopathy Literature Reviews’ was chosen to be published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. His internship was completed at Oklahoma Osteopathic Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma and his first practice was in Tillamook, Oregon. He was Chief of Staff of Tillamook County General Hospital as well as the Chief County Medical Examiner. He was honored by the Tillamook Jaycees as the Junior Citizen of the Year in 1978 for leading a successful campaign to pass a bond measure to remodel the hospital, upgrade the cardiac care unit and to recruit more doctors to the area. He was named one of the Five Outstanding Young Men of Oregon in the same year for these accomplishments as well as for setting up and conducting training programs for ambulance drivers, firefighters and nurses. These honors led to his being named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of America in 1979, along with John Denver and Bill Clinton. During this time he also coached Little League, was School Board President of Tillamook Catholic Schools, a member of the Elks Club and a favorite Pig N’ Ford Racer. He began working at Douglas Community Hospital in the emergency room in 1978 - 1985 commuting from Tillamook to Roseburg for 24-hour shifts. He and his family eventually moved to Eugene and then to Roseburg when he became the Director for the Southern Oregon Pain Center in 1984. He also was the Assistant County Medical Examiner for Douglas County at this time. In 1985, he co-founded and practiced at Harvard Urgent Care with his partner Dr. Paul Norris. This was the first Urgent Care Clinic in Southern Oregon. In 1987, he became the Medical Director of Pacific Institute of Rehabilitation and opened Occupational Medicine of Roseburg. He continued to expand his ideas and became the director of Mercy Medical Group and Business Health Network. He was the first Medical Director for Cow Creek Health and Wellness, Monarch Medical Center and worked at Evergreen Urgent Care and Cascade Medical Group in Eugene. He became Medical Director and physician for Nova Urgent Care (formerly Roseburg Urgent Care) 2014 - 2019. He currently was the Nova Primary Care Supervising physician for numerous clinics in Oregon and Washington. Dr. Daskalos served on the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners for five years, was the physician coordinator for EMT Training Certification, on the Board of Trustees for the Oregon Osteopathic Association, member of Sigma Sigma Phi and Phi Sigma Alpha medical honor Societies, Oregon Medical Association and DCIPA. Through these many achievements, his passion was to bring new ideas and concepts to help all people find a place for healing. Daskalos, in Greek, means professor or teacher. Dr. Daskalos definitely lived up to his name. He was known by his many friends as “Dr. D,” “Doc,” “Dasky,” “Jimbo,” “Greekola,” and “Repo.” He was described by patients as always willing to listen, kind, funny, relatable with an incredible talent for diagnosing and recalling a wide breadth of medical facts. Always keeping life exciting, at age 65, he drove to Eugene each week to fulfill a lifelong dream of taking ice hockey skating lessons. He picked up his latest interest, golf, at the age of 70. He had an amazing sense of family, a love of life, an unwavering faith and took great pride in his wife and children. Dr. Daskalos and Mary Ellen Waite met in 1961 at a friend’s house during Thanksgiving vacation their freshman year of college. They had common interests in medicine, religion and values and this led them to be married in 1964. They celebrated their 58th Anniversary in April of this year and enjoyed every single day of those years together. His wife and their four children, three sons and one daughter, were the blessings and joys of his life. Dr. Daskalos lived for the times he spent with them - coaching, watching performances, teaching sports skills, auto racing, hunting, fishing, rafting, skiing, barbequing and cooking fabulous meals. He was always there cheering them on and providing unconditional love and support through all the phases of their lives. His nine grandchildren lovingly referred to him as “Grandpa Saynow” which was coined by his eldest grandchild while he was chasing her around impersonating Kaa the snake from the animated movie The Jungle Book. Each grandchild was extremely important in his life. He loved them deeply and was so proud of their amazing accomplishments! A great grandson, born last year, was a joy beyond measure. Dr. Daskalos was preceded in death by his mother and father, brother Michael Ross Daskalos, brother-in-law Colonel Gordon Waite and very special aunts and uncles. He is survived by and will be eternally and so lovingly missed by his wife, Mary Ellen and the children he loved so very much; son, Mark (Debra Jean) Daskalos; son, Dr. Paul (Patricia) Daskalos; son, Dr. Matthew (Traci) Daskalos and daughter, Jamee Daskalos, RN. He also leaves a sister, Mary Lou Daskalos and nine grandchildren: Alexa (Brandon) Graff and great grandson Weston James Graff, Ellee (Jeff) Nakashima, Chace Daskalos, Hope Daskalos, Jaxson Daskalos, Sophie Daskalos, Hunter Daskalos, Piper Daskalos, and Georgia Daskalos. He leaves behind three nieces, cousins, wonderful friends, and patients that were very, very important in his life. His was a life well lived. This amazing, wonderful, fun loving, caring and honorable man has left a permanent mark on the hearts of many. Dr. Daskalos was laid to rest in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Portland, Oregon in a private family ceremony on June 8, 2022. A celebration of life will be held in Roseburg on Sunday, July 17, 2022 at Melrose Vineyards beginning at 2 p.m. The family wishes to thank all of you who have been a part of his life and we welcome you to join us in this celebration.