Carlos Lamas

Carlos Lamas

April 16, 2021

On Friday, April 16, 2021, Carlos Lamas of Roanoke, Virginia, devoted husband, father and doctor, passed away. He was 75.

He was born in the beautiful Spanish colonial city of Melilla, on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, where he grew up as a talented student and strong swimmer.

As a young man he served his native country of Spain as a paratrooper and studied to be a doctor at the Complutense University of Madrid. There he met, courted, and married his beloved wife, Julia Iglesias. They emigrated to the City of Pittsburgh in 1972 to pursue his dream of becoming the best in his field of medicine. In 1976 he took his love for his adopted country to the next level and became an American citizen.

He spent twenty years as a pathologist at West Penn Hospital, becoming one of the top practitioners in the Northeast and a respected lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. They raised their two sons in Pittsburgh, Ramon and Victor, who went on to respected careers in business and education. In 1992, he moved his family to Erie, Pa. and became a partner with Hamot Medical Group, bringing his renowned expertise to revitalize their pathology practice. He retired from medicine in 2004, and in 2013 moved with Julia to Roanoke to be closer to his grandchildren. There they spent their retirement in peace and in contemplation of a life well-lived. His partner and the love of his life, Julia, passed away in December of 2019.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Carlos was a good man, a dedicated student of history, and a proud adopted son of America. His patriotism inspired his eldest son to fly for the United States Navy, and his passion for history inspired his youngest to become a respected teacher. When his wife was ill, he took care of her dutifully, with love, affection, and patience. When she passed, he was devastated. Everyone who knew him recognized his rock-solid integrity; his word was good; in any circumstance he could be counted on to do the right thing. His younger sons' friends thought he was kind, but a little intimidating until they got to know him. They called him Mr. Lamas instead of Dr. Lamas, but he never thought to correct them. As a doctor, the secretaries and nurses in his office thought he was very chivalrous and courteous to a fault. As a father, he had a gentle hand, yet expected the best from his sons. He loved dogs and he and Julia always shared their life with a canine companion. In his final year, he adopted an old beagle from the SPCA and took care of her. She sat at his feet and slept next to his bed right until the end.

In his youth, he was very athletic. He loved to swim, fence, and play tennis. He was an expert marksman and loved to read history, listen to classical music, and watch movies. There was very little that he didn't know. He collected swords, old guns, and books. He liked to dress well and is responsible for a number of other people dressing well, too, because of his impressive hand-me-downs. A good joke could make him laugh for years. At a dinner party, his inner raconteur came out; he could tell stories for hours.

We will miss him and are grateful for all he gave. He passed in a state of peace and grace, reunited with God, the wife he took care of with such devotion, and the mother who raised him with so much love.

He is survived by a brother, his two sons, three grandsons, and two step-grandchildren.

The memorial to him will be a private affair. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be given to the local Roanoke Valley SPCA. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.oakeys.com.