Dantzler, William H
William Hoyt Dantzler, MD, PhD, age 86, loving husband of Barbara, and father of Amy and Kurt, passed away suddenly at University Medical Center in Tucson, on Friday, May 27, 2022. Born August 25, 1935, in New Jersey, Bill moved to Milwaukee when he was five. After earning an undergraduate degree in English from Princeton University, he obtained a medical degree from Columbia in New York city. While there, Bill met and married Barb (July 25, 1959); he always said this was the singular accomplishment of his time in New York. In 1968, after earning a PhD at Duke University, Bill, Barb, Amy, and Kurt moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he joined the Department of Physiology (one of three founding faculty members) of the brand-new University of Arizona College of Medicine. Over the next 37 years, Bill became Professor and Chair of Physiology, initiated the Physiology undergraduate major, served as President of the American Physiological Society, and was recipient of two of that society's most prestigious career awards (the Berliner and Krogh Lectureships). During his career, Bill touched the lives of countless colleagues and trainees who remember his warmth, steady counsel, and the sincere respect he afforded all. Following his retirement in 2005, he continued his passions for reading, the theatre, art, swimming and traveling. Bill was predeceased by his loving son Kurt and is survived by his beloved wife Barb, daughter Amy, and brother Bob. In lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to Sculpture Tucson, the University of Arizona Museum of Art, or the Rogue Theater. Arrangements by UofA Willed Body Program.
