William Old Jr.

OLD, William Levi Jr., M.D., 84, formerly of North Shore Point and Lochhaven, Norfolk, recently of Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, died December 7, 2009. He was a native of Norfolk where his father was a prominent surgeon for many years. Dr. Old attended Episcopal High School, Hampden-Sydney College and Northwestern University Midshipman School before serving as an Ensign, USNR in World War II in the Pacific. Postwar, he graduated from the Medical College of Virginia with election to Alpha Omega Alpha honorary scholastic society. He served a general surgery residency at MCV and a thoracic-vascular surgery residency at the University of Virginia. During his surgical practice in Norfolk he served a term as chief of surgery at Norfolk General Hospital, where he was instrumental in starting the Burn Unit. He also served a term as chief of surgery at DePaul Hospital where he founded the Vascular Laboratory. He was surgical consultant at the USNH Portsmouth, USPHS Norfolk and VA Hospital Hampton. Dr. Old was on the clinical surgery faculty of the Eastern Virginia Medical School; he authored 30 scientific articles in medical-surgical journals. He was involved in the creation of the Medical History Department at EVMS. Dr. Old was influential in starting an operating room surgical assistant program at Norfolk General and DePaul Hospitals in 1964. This was among the first such programs in the U.S. As one of the first thoracic and vascular surgical specialists in eastern Virginia, he introduced a number of new procedures into the area including pacemakers and bedside breathing ventilators. Ironically, 40 years later, he had both of these in his own personal health care. He was past president of the Virginia Surgical Society, past vice president of the Southern Surgical Association and active on various committees of the American College of Surgeons. He had also been president of the Southern Society of Clinical Surgeons. Dr. Old lectured and wrote on historical subjects, especially surgical history. He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He was a founder and first president of the Tidewater Tennis Center, which brought indoor tennis to south Hampton Roads for the first time. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mrs. Rebecca Lacy Old of Virginia Beach; a son and three daughters and their spouses, William Levi Old III M.D. of Newport News, Rebecca Old Osborne of Norfolk, Sally Old Kitchin of Virginia Beach, Laura Old Hoing of Herndon; and 10 grandchildren. A memorial service will be conducted by the Rev. Dr. Andrew D. Buchanan at Galilee Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 1 p.m. Private burial services will be at Eastern Shore Chapel Cemetery. Should friends desire, memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the William Levi Old Jr., M.D. Scholarship at Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia 23943, or to a favorite charity. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Laskin Rd. chapel is handling arrangements.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.