Friends of the late Dr. Walter B. Omans, 83, of Felton, may call on the family from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, at Pippin Funeral Home, 119 W. Camden-Wyoming Ave., Wyoming.
A longtime pediatrician, Dr. Omans died Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010, at the Delaware Veterans Home, Milford.
Born Feb. 13, 1927, in Bay City, Mich., he was the son of the late Glenn Omans and Margaret Barlow Omans.
Dr. Omans graduated from Bay City Central High School and served in the United States Navy Medical Corps during World War II. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Tufts University in 1950 and his Doctorate of Medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1954.
After medical school, he did a rotating internship at Philadelphia General Hospital, followed by a pediatric residency and allergy fellowship at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children (Temple University) in Philadelphia. He served as chief of pediatrics and assistant chief of premature nurseries at Philadelphia General Hospital, and associate in pediatrics at Jefferson Medical College.
In 1967, Dr. Omans moved to Delaware to join fellow residents Dr. John Forest and Dr. William Leitzinger in private practice. After their retirement in 1978, he joined the Dickinson Medical Group in Milford. He served as chief of pediatrics at Kent General Hospital from 1972 to 1979 and was the attending allergist at Dover Air Force Base from 1974 to 1980.
In 1982 he opened his own private practice with offices in Dover and Milford, where he continued to practice until he retired in 2002 due to Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Omans had a never-ending dedication to his patients, an amazing ability to relate to children, and a calm, reassuring way with parents. He was the pediatrician to generations of families in and around the Dover and Milford areas during his many years of practice.
He was a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Philadelphia Pediatric Society; Delaware Allergy Society; American College of Allergy and Immunology; American Medical Association; and the Medical Society of Delaware, which presented him with an award in recognition of his 50 years of service.
While living in Camden, Dr. Omans served as a member of the Camden Town Council and was instrumental in the beautification project of Camden, planting cherry trees throughout the historic town.
He was a member of Whatcoat United Methodist Church, Camden, where he sang in the choir for many years.
Dr. Omans loved to reminisce with stories from his past. He had a true passion for sailing, and loved to sail the Chesapeake Bay. He was a history buff with impressive knowledge in many areas, particularly in religion, lighthouses and the Civil War. He was an avid reader, and enjoyed canoeing and nature walks. He enjoyed building ship models in his spare time.
