Obituary: David Perkinson Colley, MD, 82, of Branford

Obituary courtesy of W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home:

David Perkinson Colley, MD, age 82, of Branford, CT, passed away peacefully June 10, 2023, at Yale New Haven Hospital; born Sept. 23, 1940, Binghamton, NY, and raised in Dayton, OH, son of Josiah and Helen Colley. He earned his B.A. degree from Northwestern University (1962); He and Barbara met in the summer of 1963 at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, and married in 1965.

He received a Doctor of Medicine degree from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (1966) before enlisting in the US Navy. As a Lieutenant Commander in the Medical Corps, he served aboard the submarine USS Ethan Allen. After the service, he relocated to Cincinnati to complete his Radiology residency. During this time, he was the Stadium Physician for the Cincinnati Reds 1974 season and remained an avid fan for life. He relocated to Connecticut in 1981, where for 40 years he was a Diagnostic Radiologist with the New Haven Radiology Group at the Hospital of Saint Raphael. He enjoyed interacting with the staff and teaching the residents. He was active in the Branford community as a member of the First Congregational Church and the Green Committee. He enjoyed golf and reading a good book alongside one of the family’s many beloved golden retrievers; together with his family he enjoyed many travel adventures throughout the world. He will be remembered for his dry wit, compassionate demeanor, and thoughtful advice.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Barbara Burnet Colley, of Branford, and children, Anne Colley, of New York, NY; and Erin Colley Monroe (Mark), of West Hartford, CT, and granddaughters, Abigail and Milly Monroe. He was predeceased by his brother Bruce (Marg) Colley, of Peoria, IL.

A memorial service with military honors will be held at the First Congregational Church, 1009 Main St, Branford, CT, Thursday June 15 at 10am. Burial will follow in Center Cemetery. The W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home is in care of arrangements. Please see his online memorial: www.wsclancy.com.

The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital for their expert care and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Branford Community Foundation, P.O. Box 462, Branford, CT, or the First Congregational Church of Branford.