Dr. Edward Pancoast "Ned" Wilmer

WILMER, Dr. Edward "Ned" Pancoast Dr. Edward "Ned" Pancoast Wilmer died in an automobile accident outside Seville, Spain, on Thursday (February 15, 2007). The accident also killed his eldest son, Bruce Pancoast Wilmer. Ned was born on May 25, 1926 in Detroit, MI, the son of Edward G. Wilmer of Milwaukee, WI and Gertrude L. Wilmer of Philadelphia, PA. His father was a business executive, responsible for turning around a number of troubled businesses during the Depression, including Dodge Motors and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.; he also worked for Dillon Reed and Co. As a result, growing up, Ned lived in a number of locations: Detroit, New York City, Bryn Mawr, PA, Switzerland, and during World War II, in Granville, NY. His first school was The Episcopal Academy in Merion, PA, followed by two years of boarding school in Switzerland, where he was instructed in French, a language in which he was fluent for the rest of his life. Returning to the United States during the war, he attended Pomfret Academy, in Pomfret for three years, continuing on and graduating in 1944 from Phillips Academy, in Andover, MA. Admitted to the U.S. Navy V-12 Program, Ned completed his BA degree at Williams College in three years, graduating in 1947. He was then accepted by Harvard Medical School and graduated in the class of 1951. He interned for one year at Hartford Hospital, after which he served with the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Norfolk, VA. There, he met his wife, Ann Howison Beale. After they married, he finished his years of navy service in Philadelphia, PA. Ned did his two years of Pediatric Residency at New York Hospital before moving to Wethersfield in 1956, where he started his Pediatric Practice of 41 years. Ned was affiliated with Hartford Hospital and Newington Children's Hospital until his retirement. Early in his career, Dr. Wilmer focused on children with Muscular Dystrophy and throughout his long career he impacted the lives of so many "little people." An old time, independent, small town doctor who made house calls, took his time with patients and worked from a home office, his death is also the death of an era. A summer resident of Prince Edward Island, Canada since 1968, Ned and Ann vacationed every winter in either Spain or Portugal, where they were vacationing at the time of the accident on February 15th. In addition to his wife of 53 years, Ann Wilmer of Wethersfield, he is survived by five of his children: Sheila A. Wilmer of Branford, David Wilmer of Wethersfield, and of Prince Edward Island, Canada, Mary Wilmer of Napa, CA, Timothy Wilmer of Wethersfield, and Polly W. Snelgrove (husband, Geoff) of Jamestown, NC, and six grandchildren: Andrew and Cristina Wilmer of Wethersfield, and Caitlin, Ian, Brendan, and Kelsey Snelgrove of Jamestown, NC. Ned is also survived by his three sisters: Polly Rodie of Lakeville, Barbara Gibson (husband, Thomas) of Shelburne, VT, and Sheila L. Wilmer of Wethersfield. A memorial service honoring the lives of Ned and his son, Bruce, will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 5th at the Wilmer home, 135 State Street, Wethersfield, CT.