Date :
Location : St. Mary's Cemetery, Rock Valley, IA
Agnes Schemmer McIntosh, formerly of Rock Valley, forwarded this obituary of her husband Dr. Thomas W. McIntosh of Regents Point, Irvine, California, who died peacefully on the presence of his family on July 9, 2004. A memorial mass was held July 13 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Newport Beach, California. The family requests that memorials be directed to Alzheimer's Association in memory of Thomas McIntosh.
"Doctor Mac," as he preferred to be called, grew up in Stockton, California. He attended St. Mary's College in Moraga and earned his graduate degree in medicine from Creighton University in Omaha in 1943. While at Creighton, he met Agnes Schemmer, who was in nursing training. They married in 1943 and left for California. His career spanned more that forty years, primarily in private practice in Anesthesiology and Emergency Medicine at Huntinging Memorial Hospital in Pasadena.
Private, Doctor Mac traveled the world as a Fellow of the State Society of Anesthesiologists but he always enjoyed coming home to his native California. He spent many summers in Sierra Club Base Camps up and down the Sierra Nevada. Hiking, photography and crossword puzzles balanced the demands of a busy work and family life. He enjoyed memberships in many community organizations. University Club of Pasadena (President, 1955), The Pasadena tournament of Roses (1946-2004) and founding member of the Los Angeles County Physicians Food and Wine Society. He prided himself on his taste honed in the aisles of the original Trader Joe's in South Pasadena.
In 1985 Doctor Mac and his wife Agnes retired to Newport Beach. He quickly joined the Kiwanis Club and enjoyed being an active member. He also volunteered as a physician at SOS Medical Clinic of Newport Beach. He was recognized for his contributions to the Newport Community with his induction into the Volunteer of the Year Hall of Fame in 2000, shown in the Daily Pilot wearing his ubiquitous beret. He was also named to the 100 Most Influential People in Orange County.
Doctor Mac's remarkable life is celebrated by his wife of 61 years, Agnes Schemmer McIntosh, six children; Joan (John) Sievers, Tom (Eve), Bruce (Susie), Karen (Adam) Kaprielian, John, Mary (Walter) Wilson; and eight grand-children James, Michael, Ashley, Michael, Scott, Jeffery, Sarah and Mark. His constant strength and good humor will serve as a beacon to all who knew him.