Dr. John D. Tolmie

Dr. John D. Tolmie, a retired anesthesiologist and Rear Admiral in the United States Navy Reserve, died March 22 after a long illness. He was born in Toronto, Canada on August 12, 1933 to Sadie Bentley Tolmie and Duncan Arnott Tolmie, and moved to Geneva, N.Y. at the end of World War II with his family. He graduated from Geneva High School as president of the senior class. He received his baccalaureate degree from Hobart College, where he won basketball numerals and lettered in lacrosse. He earned his M.D.C.M. degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. A rotating internship followed at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
In 1960, he married the former Sigrid Joan Hamlin in Ottawa, Canada. After serving briefly on staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Montreal, he was commissioned as an Ensign and then Lt. in the US Navy and assigned as squadron medical officer for MINRON-9 (Minesweeper Squadron 9), stationed in Long Beach, CA. He was then transferred to NOTS (Naval Ordinance Test Station) China Lake, in the Mojave Desert, serving for 2 years as a general medical officer at the Station Hospital. He attended the Navy Deep Sea Diving School in Washington DC, and was certified as a Diving Medical Officer. He then completed his anesthesiology residency at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital. Dr. Tolmie's next assignment was to Guam, where he was commissioned as a Commander, and served as Chief of Anesthesiology at USNH Guam. He received the presidential unit citation for casualty care during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War. In Camp Lejeune NC, Dr. Tolmie was also Chief of Anesthesiology. In 1970, he led a medical team from Camp Lejeune aboard the LST4-USS GUAM to care for victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Ancash, Peru.
Later in 1970, Dr. Tolmie left active duty in the Navy to join the Anesthesiology Department at Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem NC, but would serve in the Naval Reserve for the next 20 years. He was a professor in the Department of Anesthesia at BGSM for four years, and also served as Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Student Services, and then in 1989 for 7 years as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In 1990, Tolmie was awarded the Legion of Merit from President George Bush for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as Deputy Atlantic Fleet Surgeon from March 1984 through September 1990". He retired from the Naval Reserve in 1990. His last service was a 10-day tour of duty as acting Atlantic Fleet Surgeon as part of Operation Desert Shield. He then taught anatomy and became the first Director of Emeritus Affairs at Wake Forest University Medical School until May 2000.
He is survived by Joan, his wife of over 50 years, his daughter Suzie and her husband Rusty Lawrence and their children Hamlin, Ian and Raef, of Nashville TN, his daughter Kim and her husband Brad Kesel and their children Wellsley, Madison and Bryn of Atlanta GA, and his son Ian and his wife Jennifer Black and their children Dodge and Duncan of Seattle WA. He is sadly predeceased by his dear grandson Dane of Seattle WA. He is also survived by his three brothers-in-law, Howard Hamlin of Collingwood ON, Canada, Bill Hamlin of Canandaigua N.Y., and Geof Hamlin of Ottawa ON, Canada and their families. He will be missed by many for his integrity, kindness, irrepressible sense of humor, and encyclopedic knowledge concerning WWII and military aviation, as well as automobiles and sports. He served also as a constant source of medical knowledge and advice for his family, friends and neighbors.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: Institute for Systems Biology, 401 Terry Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109, Attn: Sissy Bouchard (in memory of Dane Tolmie).
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 4 at 3:30 p.m. at Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, 494 East Plaza Drive, Mooresville, NC 28115. Tel: (704) 664-3363 www.cavin-cook.com