John Pattison, DC (1944-2003)
John Barkley Pattison III learned to speak fluent Farsi at the age of five when his father, an Air Force colonel, was stationed in Afghanistan in 1949. He regularly helped his father with translating before the family moved to Norfolk, Va. Dr. Pattison met his first wife, Linda Dubois, in his senior year of high school in Taipei, Taiwan, and the couple produced a son, John B. Pattison IV.
After enrolling in the University of Washington and later transferring to the University of Southern Mississippi, Dr. Pattison received his MBA, but became disillusioned with accounting and took up the study of chiropractic. Inspired by his grandmother, also a practitioner, he enrolled at Northern California College of Chiropractic, serving on the college's board of directors even while a student. He was instrumental in the college's eventual transformation to Life West in 1981, and established a private practice in Redwood City, Calif., the next year.
Dr. Pattison transferred his practice to nearby Fremont before suffering a stroke in 1984 that left him partially paralyzed. He retired from the chiropractic profession and began traveling the world with his second wife, Cindy.
Dr. Pattison passed away on Jan. 30. He is survived by wife Cindy; son John; daughter-in-law Jennifer; and grandson Dakota.
Norton, Va., was home to William P. "Sonny" Armistead, DC, former owner and operator of the local Coca-Cola Bottling Company plant. He passed away Feb. 8 at the age of 70.
After graduating from Coeburn High School in 1950, Sonny attended Clinch Valley College in Wise, Va. He received a bachelor's degree from Hiwassee College, and his doctor of chiropractic degree from Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.
When not practicing chiropractic, Dr. Armistead was involved in numerous local business ventures. He owned not only the Norton Coca-Cola plant, but also the Lonesome Pine Bottling Company, and was a partner in several local development projects. An avid horticulturist, he also co-owned Riverside Florist in Norton with his mother, Beatrice.
Dr. Armistead is survived by daughters Becky Armistead Dorton, Tootie Scott and Missy Armistead; son Shannon Armistead; sister Bernice Wright; and grandchildren Brandon Armistead, Makayla Marcum and Matthew Marcum.
Clarence L. Dunmire, DC, passed away in Franklin, Pa., on Feb. 19 at the age of 68. Dr. Dunmire was born in Oil City, Pa., and graduated from Oil City High School in 1953. He then served in the U.S. Army with the 6th Armored Division, and on the "Special Category Army Personnel with the Air Force" (SCARWAF) project in Newfoundland.
In 1961, Dr. Dunmire graduated from Palmer School of Chiropractic, after completing his undergraduate work at Ohio State University. He opened a practice in his hometown, then moved it to Seneca, Pa., in 1974. Over the next 30 years, he continued to practice while raising five children with wife Dorothy.
Dr. Dunmire was active in numerous civic and professional organizations, including the Cranberry Business and Professional Association; the Petrolia Masonic Lodge of Oil City; and the Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association. He was also an avid turkey hunter.
Dr. Dunmire is survived by wife Dorothy; sons David and Daniel; daughters Elizabeth Van Voorst, Debra Carbaugh and Sandra Lieb; stepdaughter Melissa Tick Swing; stepson Robert Tock; 13 grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
