Dr. Ira Ayer, III

Notes:

Biography:
From his sisters Alice and Clem written about 1960: "He was born in Ashland, Virginia, but lived most of his life in the North, as we did. His life was filled with travel and interesting experiences. He married Louise Foster and had two daughters, Mrs. Phyllis Ayer Sowers of Carlsbad, California and Mrs. Alfred B. (Margaret) Smith of New York City. They both have distinguished themselves; Mrs. Sowers as an author of children's books and Mrs. Smith as an artist and illustrator. Dr. Malcolm Sowers, a grandson, lives in Castro Valley, California. Ira Ayer, our brother, was a Captain in the Spanish War seeing service in the Philippines and Cuba. After the war he went to Siam and was commissioned as advisor on the medical board of the Kingdom, and by King Pradjadpok, as his personal physician receiving the three highest honors obtainable in the Kingdom of Siam. They lived in the Orient for nearly twenty years, when he retired and bought a home in Carlsbad, California." According to American Medical Association records, he graduated from medical school at Long Island College Hospital in 1892 (now State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn College of Medicine). He was licensed to practice medicine in New York State in 1892 and in Illinois in 1893. He was practicing in Philadelphia and Brooklyn in 1911 and in Philadelphia in 1913. In 1912 he received the degree of Dr. P.H. from the University of Pennsylvania. On November 18, 1915 he was listed as practicing in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand). According to his obituary in the New York Times, in 1916 he was commissioned by King Prajadhipok as his personal doctor and was an advisor on improving sanitary conditions throughout the kingdom.

Ira married M Louise Foster on 18 Aug 1892. M was born on 21 Jan 1869 in Norfolk, Virginia; died on 22 Apr 1940; was buried in Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Phyllis Sowers

Phyllis married Francis Malcolm Sowers on 23 Mar 1921 in Christ Church, Bangkok, Siam (Thailand). Francis was born on 24 Aug 1881 in Atlanta, Indiana; died on 10 Jul 1968 in Seatle, Washington; was buried in Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, Oregon. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Margaret Smith
• Death: Apr 1981, Castro Valley, California

Margaret married Alfred Babbington Smith on 27 Feb 1931 in New York. Alfred was born on 13 Mar 1898 in England; died in Dec 1976 in Castro Valley, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Obituary Dr. Malcolm Sowers, San Francisco Chronicle 8 Oct 2014:
Malcolm A. Sowers, M.D.
Dec. 24, 1921-Oct. 2, 2014
Dr. Malcolm Ayer Sowers passed away on Oct. 2, 2014. He practiced psychiatry in Hayward and Castro Valley, pioneering the practice of group therapy. He retired in 1993 after more than 40 years of private practice. He was on the staff at Eden Medical Center, including chief of psychiatry. Before starting private practice he served as a captain in the Air Force in Japan during the Korean War.
He was born in Bangkok, Thailand on Dec. 24, 1921 to Francis and Phyllis Sowers and came to the United States with his mother before he was a year old. As a child he grew up in Carlsbad in southern California and came north to the University of California when he was nineteen. After graduating from Berkeley he earned his M.D. from UCSF Medical School. He met his wife, Helen, at Berkeley and they were married in October 1943. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last year. Malcolm is survived by his wife Helen; four children, Robert, Douglas, Betty, and Brian; eight grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.
Malcolm enjoyed skiing, backpacking, and other outdoor sports. He instilled a sense of adventure and love of the outdoors in all his children. Along with physical attributes he also set the example of tolerance, fairness, and acceptance of differences. Many remember him for his creative mind and unusual sense of humor. After retiring he joined a writing class and wrote a book, The Shrink Talks Back.
He was an avid sailor and sailboat racer. He had a series of sailboats, starting with a sailing canoe when he was 17. When he was stationed in Japan he had the hull of a sailboat built, then shipped to San Francisco. He spent many hours finishing the boat, but finally purchased a larger one and then an Islander 30, which he finally gave up seven years ago. Early during his sailing years he explored Red Rock, a small cone shaped island off the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. He hiked the steep slope to plant a memorial cypress tree near the top. Every summer he made a pilgrimage with friends and family to water the tree to keep it alive for its destiny-to have his ashes scattered under it.
Here he lies where he long'd to be;
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hiker home from the hill.
Adapted from "Requiem" by Robert Louis Stevenson