Dee DeRoin
Dr. Dee Ann DeRoin, 79, of Lawrence, died peacefully at home on August 12, 2026, with family by her side. The youngest of five siblings, Dee Ann was born in Wymore, Nebraska in 1947 to Amable DeRoin, Jr. and Opal (Loftis) DeRoin. Her father passed away when she was 9 months old, and she was raised by her mother in Wymore until they moved to Sunnyvale, California when Dee Ann was in middle school. She graduated from Sunnyvale High, attended Foothill College, and later transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a degree in Psychology.
A member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Dee Ann was active in the Native American Student Association at Berkeley, where she helped advocate for the establishment of a Native American Studies program. After graduation, she worked as a kindergarten teacher but also volunteered for <a href="https://healthylife7.com/north-country-health-nuggets-the-importance-of-flu-shots/” title=”North Country Health Nuggets: The importance of flu shots”>health service organizations meeting the needs of underserved populations in Santa Clara County; this volunteer work motivated her to return to Berkeley to complete a Master of Public Health degree, and her time in the MPH program inspired her to become a physician dedicated to primary care and public health work in Native communities. She earned her MD from Stanford in 1978 and then completed her Family Medicine residency at Group Health in Seattle. In early 1982, she moved to Lawrence to accept a job at the Indian Health Service clinic at Haskell Indian Nations University (then Haskell Indian Junior College).
Dee Ann cherished her time at Haskell and, even after leaving her job there, continued working to improve Native health through community-based efforts: she co-founded the Four Tribes Women’s Wellness Coalition in Kansas and co-chaired the annual Kansas Tribal Health Summit; she worked with the National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center on cancer screening and prevention; and she served on the Women’s Health Steering Committee for the Indian Health Service. For her efforts in Native healthcare in Kansas and beyond, Dee Ann was recognized with the William Koch Outstanding Woman of the Year award in 1997, the ‘Women Who Make a Difference’ award from the International Women’s Forum in 2008, and the Physician of the Year award from the Association of American Indian Physicians in 2013. Outside of healthcare, she served at various times on the Board of Directors of the Haskell Foundation, the Association on American Indian Affairs, and the American Indian Graduate Center.
While living in the Bay Area, Dee Ann met Stephen Ellsworth through mutual friends, and they married in 1978. Steve was a steadfast supporter of her career goals, and they both welcomed the opportunity to move closer to family when she took her job at the Haskell Clinic. They raised two children in Lawrence, and together they were active in their children’s schools, in community organizations, and in local political efforts. They loved the arts scene in Lawrence, were patrons of the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, and enjoyed dining out in downtown Lawrence. Dee Ann also enjoyed gardening, sewing, and jewelry-making. In recent years, she focused much of her time and efforts on caring for Steve as his Parkinson’s Disease progressed, but she still made time for mentorship and advocacy and was especially proud of efforts encouraging Native students to pursue careers in healthcare.
Dee Ann will be remembered for her leadership and advocacy, her community-building skills, her devotion to her family, and her love of laughter
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Dr. William DeRoin and Robert DeRoin; her sisters, Leona Schappaugh and Ruthelma Williams; her nephews Dr. Dennis DeRoin, Jay Williams, and Sidney Williams; her niece Janele Schappaugh Copeland; and, most recently, her beloved husband, Steve. She is survived by her children, Tyler Ellsworth (Susie) and Dr. Lia DeRoin (Andy Schrag), her four grandchildren, as well as several other nieces and nephews and their children
A visitation will be held at 11:00 am on Sunday, September 13, at the Carnegie Building at 200 W. 9th Street in downtown Lawrence, with a service to follow at noon. The family will host a luncheon from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the conclusion of the service. All are welcome to attend
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Ballard Community Center or the Association on American Indian Affairs
For more information or to post a condolence go to warrenmcelwain.com
