Davies Gratwick, 97, family helped establish Roswell Park
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Jan. 22, 1912—March 24, 2009
Davies Gratwick, whose family made an early philanthropic gift that helped lead to the development of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, died March 24 in his Eggertsville home. He was 97.
Born in Buffalo, Mr. Gratwick was the second of five children. He attended the Berkshire School, Sheffield, Mass., and Harvard University. After serving in the Merchant Marine during World War II, he spent the remainder of his life managing and maintaining the Gratwick family summer home and rental properties on Lake Joseph in Muskoka, Ont.
Mr. Gratwick was the last remaining grandchild of William Henry Gratwick, a late 19th century titan in the lumber and shipping trades. William Henry Gratwick had been treated for colon cancer by Dr. Roswell Park, a distinguished surgeon and professor of surgery at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine, specializing in cancer treatment.
In gratitude for Park’s treatment of her husband, Davies Gratwick’s grandmother made a philanthropic gift of $25,000 to Park that helped establish the Gratwick Research Laboratory, the precursor to today’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Both Davies Gratwick’s father and uncle served on the hospital’s board of trustees, and the family’s involvement with hospital continues with the Gratwick Family Endowed Fund for Cancer Research.
Mr. Gratwick was an avid tennis player and skier who shared his skill at both pursuits with all of his family.
A memorial service is planned later this month.
Published: April 01, 2009, 12:30 am