Todd “Doc” Addis, MFH, courtesy of Thornton Hill huntsman Beth Opitz. “This photo sums up the love he had for his hounds and the hounds’ love for him,” says his daughter.
Dr. Todd “Doc” Addis, one of the great champions of the American Penn-Marydel foxhound, died suddenly on July 24, 2019 at his home, Fox Hill, in Elverson Pennsylvania. He was eighty-five and with his family.
Doc was Master and huntsman of Warwick Village Hounds and a zealous advocate for the Penn-Marydel foxhound. He made it his crusade to convince foxhunters across North America of the advantageous traits, and superior abilities of his beloved Penn-Marydel compared to any other breed. He not only converted many successful Masters and huntsmen to his convictions, but was also personally responsible for helping, advising, and drafting good working bloodlines to those packs. In so doing, Doc was instrumental in extending Penn-Marydel bloodlines from their Pennsylvania/Maryland/Delaware roots to so many other hunts across North America.
To spread the word broadly, Doc wrote letters, articles and two books: A Backward Glance, his memoir, and Our Penn-Marydel Hound, A Historical Anthology. In the opinion of this correspondent, the Penn-Marydel is the fastest growing breed of foxhound on this continent.
The Tennessee Valley Hunt (TN), founded in 1989, is unique in that most of the founding members had never foxhunted prior to forming the hunt. Fortunately, they found their way to Doc Addis who, along with his wife Happy, brought his hounds to Tennessee and taught the fledgling foxhunters all about hunting. Before leaving, Doc made a gift of twenty couple of Penn-Marydels to the Tennessee Valley Hunt.
Some years ago, David Raley was a practicing architect and at the same time was serving as huntsman for the De La Brooke Foxhounds (MD). He needed help badly. He and his staff were at a hound show, nervously waiting their turn in the Pack Class and trying their best to maintain control over their pack of Crossbred hounds when he had an epiphany. There was Doc Addis, also waiting his turn, completely relaxed and sitting alone under a tree with his Penn-Marydels clustered around him. Raley became another convert. “For the smaller clubs that have to get by with less help, Penn-Marydels are just easier to deal with,” said Raley.
Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Doc began riding horses and foxhunting at the age of six. His foxhunting mentors were his father, Clarkson Addis, Sr. and huntsman Albert Crossan, an inductee into the Huntsmen’s Room of the Museum of Hounds and Hunting.
Doc was a co-founder of the Friends of the Penn-Marydel Hound and the Chester County Foxhunters Association. He was a member of the Natural Land Trusts, the French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, and the Pennsylvania Fox and Coyote Association.
His pride and joy was watching his three children hunt Penn-Marydels and his six grandchildren becoming foxhunters. His daughter, Beth Opitz, is huntsman of the Thornton Hill Hounds (VA).
Doc was a 1959 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He served in the Army Veterinary Corps from 1959–1961, stationed at Walter Reed Annex Forest Glenn where he treated dogs, cats and monkeys. He was a small and large animal veterinarian and gifted surgeon for thirty years in Lancaster, Berks, and Chester Counties including many Amish and Mennonite communities.
Doc is survived by his wife of sixty-three years, Hampton “Happy” Addis, children Todd, Ann, Beth, and grandchildren, Jennifer, Hampton, Bennett, Elida, Kemper, and Mason.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Friends of the Penn-Marydel, c/o Deborah McKechnie, 2061 Miller Rd Chester Springs, PA 19425. Online condolences may be submitted.
Posted August 15, 2019