A World War II veteran and former Ohio University professor, Gifford Doxsee of Athens, was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame last week contributing more than 20 years of community service.
Although Doxsee is a WWII veteran and ex-prisoner of war, he was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Thursday May 26 for his community service work rather than his military accolades.
Doxsee, 87, has been visiting elderly and terminally ill patients for the Appalachian Community Hospice as well as volunteering at the Athens County homeless shelter for Good Works since he retired from Ohio University in 1994.
The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals for contributions they have made after the age of 60 or for a continuation of efforts begun before that age, according to the Ohio Department of Aging.
Since 1977, more than 35 Ohioans have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, according to the department.
Including Doxsee, 18 people were inducted during last week’s ceremony in Columbus.
Christie Truly, the volunteer coordinator for Appalachian Community Hospice, nominated Doxsee early this spring for his dedication to hospice and other organizations.
“The ceremony itself was wonderful,” Doxsee said.
As he neared retirement, Doxsee said he decided to volunteer for hospice because he wanted to dedicate his free time to a worthwhile cause.
“I thought I would have anxiety about working with people my age in hospice, but it really is a wonderful organization,” Doxsee said, adding that he spends several hours a week visiting patients in their homes.
In addition to visiting patients, Doxsee volunteers several times a month at Good Works, an organization that provides housing and food for homeless residents in nine Southeast Ohio counties.
In recent years, Doxsee has begun volunteering for the Kairos Prison Ministry, an international organization that coordinates prayer sessions for incarcerated men and women.
The ministry is active in 15 Ohio prisons, including the Chillicothe Correctional Institution and the Hocking Correctional Facility in Nelsonville, Doxsee said.
Doxsee started volunteering in Chillicothe in 2003 but has been hosting prayer sessions twice a year in Nelsonville since 2007, he said.
“The goal is to establish a Christian community in these prisons and create a better sense of community,” Doxsee said.
As a WWII veteran, Doxsee also serves as an officer for the Marietta chapter of the American Ex-Prisoners of War organization.
Doxsee was sent to Germany in 1944 and, at one time, spent more than four months in a German prisoner-of-war compound.
“I still attend reunions for my division every September,” Doxsee said, adding that he coordinated the last couple reunions as the president of his division’s board of directors.
Although Doxsee is still in touch with his military past, he now dedicates the majority of his time to helping others.
“Volunteering in the community is very rewarding,” he said. “Receiving this award was a great honor.”
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