John S. Thiemeyer, Jr., M.D.

NORFOLK—John S. Thiemeyer, Jr., M.D., a visionary who played a pivotal role in the creation of EVMS, passed away Saturday at 90 years old.

An orthopedic surgeon educated at George Washington University and Boston’s Lahey Clinic, Thiemeyer became a leader in the local medical community in the 1960s and helped lead physicians, donors and civic leaders in the effort to build a medical school in the region.

“I wanted to do something that would do the most good for the most people and improve the quality of life not only in this community but also in Virginia,” Thiemeyer once explained.

Without a doubt, Thiemeyer has left a legacy that has transformed the region.

A native of Washington, D.C., Thiemeyer demonstrated his tenacity in his earliest efforts to become a doctor. To raise money for medical school, he spent four years working as a ranger in Montana, a job engraved in memory by a scar on his left hand created by the graze of a poacher’s bullet (Thiemeyer, on horseback, returned fire and arrested the poacher).

After serving in the Navy during World War II, performing shipboard surgeries, Thiemeyer came to Hampton Roads to serve at Portsmouth Naval Hospital during the Korean War, specializing in orthopedic surgery. He served his country for 34 years and rose to the rank of captain.

After launching a private practice, he became prominent in Virginia’s medical community. He served as president of the medical staff at DePaul Hospital. He also served as the president of the Virginia Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and the Virginia Orthopedic Society and was chairman of the board of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia for four years.

Early in his career, area doctors, including the late Mason Andrews, began to hold serious discussions about forming a medical school. Thiemeyer helped empanel the Mayor’s Committee for the establishment of a medical school. In 1964, the Norfolk Ledger Star recognized Thiemeyer as one of eight individuals “most industrious in pushing forward the one-time dream.”

Thiemeyer became part of the founding faculty of EVMS and served as curriculum coordinator for orthopedic surgery from 1973 to 1975.

In later years, Thiemeyer continued to support the school by making significant contributions. He contributed $500,000 to the EVMS Campaign for the Next Century and established the Nancy Upton Thiemeyer Scholarship in memory of his first wife. He and his wife Temple, who survives him, provided the naming gift and much of the stock for the Dr. and Mrs. John S. Thiemeyer, Jr., Medical History and Reading Room in the Edward E. Brickell Medical Sciences Library. Over the years, his contributions totaled $2.9 million.

In later years, Thiemeyer reflected fondly on his role in the creation of the medical school and his continuing contributions.

“You can’t imagine how satisfying it is to feel you have been part of something that has had such great effect,” he said. “There aren’t many people who are fortunate enough to be able to say what they did has meant so much.”

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