Adanto D'Amore

Obituary

FROM: EMERALD COAST FUNERAL HOME
Phone: 850-864-3361 Fax: 850-864-2483

Adanto A.S. D’Amore, M.D. (Col, USAF, Ret.) known as “D” or “Dr. D” to his many friends and acquaintances passed away peacefully on April 28, 2009 with his family by his side. He was born in Introdacqua, Italy on May 21, 1913. D, his mother and brother joined their father in Youngstown, Ohio at the close of WWI, where he attended high school, graduating at the age of 16. Following high school graduation, D enrolled in Ohio State University in Columbus, where he was captain of the OSU fencing team two years in a row and runner-up in the Saber in the NCAA one year. Graduating with his MD in 1936 at the age of 23, Dr. D interned at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, Ohio. He performed his Surgical Residency at the U.S. Public Health Marine Hospital in Buffalo, N.Y.

At the end of his training, Dr. D followed his dream to serve in the military, competing for a spot in the Army Medical Corps, where he chose flight medicine. Dr. D was commissioned a Lieutenant in 1938 and began a long and distinguished career which culminated with his retirement from the USAF in 1968. Dr. D’s military career included being assigned to the Provisional Parachute Group, the Army’s inaugural parachute training squadron which today is a component of the Army Airborne, where he was the first military physician to parachute out of an airplane and the second to win his jump wings. He was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines as the Surgeon to the 19th Bomb Group where on Dec. 8, 1942, he was bombed and strafed by Japanese warplanes. He served more than 39 months as a POW in camps in both the Philippines and mainland Japan. Returning from the war, Dr. D was posted to Brooke Army General Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, for refresher training in surgery. While there, he met his future wife, Capt. Helen Sech, an Army Nurse Corps flight instructor nurse. Helen and Dr. D married in 1947 during his tour as the hospital commander at Lowry Field in Denver. Dr. D transferred to the Air Force in 1948. His remaining assignments included several stateside bases along with tours in both Morocco and Germany. His final assignment in 1964 was to be returned state-side from Surgeon of the 17th Air Force Europe to restore the medical service at Eglin Hospital from a 125 bed to a 200 bed hospital necessary to the expanding Medical Care for an area facility. He was the hospital commander at Eglin until his retirement. Dr. D was a pioneer in the development of the Air Force Medical Service and the AFMS Resident in Aerospace Medicine (RAM) program. Dr. D’Amore was awarded the Legion of Merit, the A.F. Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal and Presidential Unit Citation with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters. He was a member of the American Board of Preventive Medicine & Aviation Medicine and many medical societies. He was also on the staff of Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, Surgeon to two Billy Bowlegs Captains, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and a past president of the Military Officers Association. Dr. D is the recipient of the Christus Medicus award for strength in faith in the delivery of medicine. Upon his retirement from the Air Force, Dr. D tried his hand at public health in Leon County, FL, but he and Helen preferred Fort Walton Beach. They returned here where he became the Director of the Okaloosa County Hospital System, which then included hospitals in Fort Walton, Niceville, and Crestview. Leaving the county system in 1972, Dr. D opened his own practice of family and aerospace medicine and served the Fort Walton Beach area as an FAA medical examiner. Dr. D founded the Westwood Retirement Center and the Okaloosa County Detox Unit, after he retired from private practice in 2004. Dr. D continued to serve as the medical director the Detox Unit, which was named after him in 2006. He was recently honored with Bridgeway’s Legacy Award, of which he was very proud.

Dr. D’s life was remarkable for the service he provided to our country and our community. He approached life with respect and kindness for others. His achievements were many but none greater than taking loving care of so many as a USAF Officer, Doctor, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Dr. D is survived by Helen, his wife of 62 years, his older brother Amanto (Florence) D’Amore of Brookfield, OH, his daughter Helen (Hank) Holt, of Mary Esther, his sons Bob (Gretchen) of San Antonio, TX and John (Kate) of Frederick, MD, his grandchildren Melissa (David) Bowell, Heather (Scott) Powell, Moira Thomas, Andrew (Meredith) D’Amore, Lara D’Amore and Thomas D’Amore, and his great grandchildren, Madeline, Abigail, Parker and Carter.

The family welcomes all to a time of visitation at Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road NE, Fort Walton Beach on Sunday, May 3 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM followed by a celebration of life at the Sons of Italy Hall, 808 South Drive, Fort Walton Beach. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary Catholic Church, St. Mary Ave, Fort Walton Beach, on Monday, May 4 at 11:00 A.M., with Monsignor Michael Cherup officiating. Interment will follow with military honors at Brooks Cemetery, Fort Walton Beach.

In lieu of flowers, Dr. D wished that any gifts commemorating his life be made to Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, 11 First Street SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548. The children would like to thank Dr. Lee Ettinger and staff for their years of compassion and kindness to their father.The children would also like to thank Stan Reither and their parents’ long-time care-givers Lynn Simmons, Ruby Head and Mae Reese. Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at www.emeraldcoastfuneralhome.com