Henry
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« #1 : August 02, 2012, 03:14:10 PM » |
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Retired local physician dies in North Carolina Dr. John Carmola was 71
ST. ALBANS - Dr. John Carmola, 71, a well-known and respected St. Albans physician, died Monday afternoon while swimming in Oak Island, N.C.
Carmola, a retired internist, had been vacationing at the beach with his family in North Carolina's largest coastal, community. Oak Island interim Fire Chief Chris Anselmo said his department 'was alerted to an emergency at about 3:15 p.m. and arrived on the beach to find a bystander and police officer performing CPR on the St. Albans resident.
Anselmo said that family members had last seen Carmola about 20 minutes prior to his being pulled from the water. The interim fire chief said CPR was continued in the ambulance, emergency medical personnel were unable to detect a pulse and Carmola was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Dr. Carmola, outside of his successful medical practice, was known by many as one of two local men, who without payment of any kind, planted dozens of trees adjacent to city sidewalks. It was a community enterprise for which Carmola and his friend John Thoren, former Northwestern Medical Center pharmacists, wanted no publicity.
Many in St. Albans were just beginning to learn of Carmola's passing on Wednesday.
Retired Rear Admiral Warren Hamm, of St. Albans, was among the many who knew the doctor well.
"Dr. John Carmola not only was an outstanding medical doctor, he was an individual who cared about his community," said Hamm.
The president of the St. Albans Historical Museum added, "He gave countless dedicated hours of his time, enthusiasm, money and ideas to make this a better place in which to live. He wanted no recognition or awards for what he did. He did all this in this way because he was John Carmola.
"A lasting testimony to John is the outstanding, one-of-a-kind, Medical Room he built at the museum. It took him three years to research, construct, document, layout, acquire items and produce -- all at his own expense -- the superb history of medicine that we have. It was a distinct privilege to have had John as a friend and a true supporter of the museum."
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