The Northampton County Board of Supervisors proclaimed June 27, 2018 to be “Dr. Drury Martin Stith Day” in Northampton County at their meeting on June 12. The proclamation honors Stith for his 43 years of service to the cancer patients of the Eastern Shore.
Spencer Murray, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, presented Stith with a framed copy of the proclamation, an excerpt of which states that Stith and his cancer center colleagues “have saved countless lives, made a compassionate impact on his patients’ loved ones, and served all patients in need.” Stith’s family, including wife Patsy, son Jason and grandson Asa, were in attendance.
In his career on the Shore, Stith was the impetus behind building a dedicated cancer center in Nassawadox, brought radiation therapy to the Shore so that patients could receive care locally, and led the cancer program through its first and all subsequent accreditation processes.
“Few people know that Dr. Stith actually retired for the first time 14 years ago,” said John Peterman, Vice President and Administrator at Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital. “But the cancer program continued to need his guidance, so a few days after we had a retirement dinner for him, he came back to work. His legacy is made up of moments like that, where he put the interests of his community above his own. We are fortunate that he chose to make the Shore his home and to serve our local cancer patients.”