John Dampeer, Jr., MD

John Oscar Dampeer was born on August 14, 1924 in Summit, Mississippi and died on March 8, 2015 in Houma, Louisiana. A funeral is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at 1pm at St. Lucy’s Catholic Church in Houma. Visitation will begin at noon. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Dr. Dampeer’s life. His ashes will be interred this summer at the Felder Methodist Family Cemetery in Summit, MS. He is survived by his devoted wife of 21 years Milly Lally Dampeer. Two sons, John Oscar Dampeer, III and wife Susan of South Bend, Indiana and William “Mac” McKenzie Dampeer and wife Lynn of Artesia, New Mexico; one daughter, Johanna Nicole Dampeer Turner of Woodstock, Georgia; four stepsons, Dr. John L. Steigner and wife Julie of Houma, Dr. Michael L. Steigner and wife Claire of Needham, Massachusetts, Patrick L. Steigner and wife Sarah of Huntsville, Alabama and Jason L. Steigner of New Orleans; and 20 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one son, Daniel Barnes Dampeer, his daughter Emily Ann Dampeer Moxom Lolli, and his parents John Oscar Dampeer, Sr. and Clara Pauline Felder Dampeer. Dr. Dampeer served his country as a sergeant in the US Army from March 1943 until the end of WWII on December 6, 1945. He was an armorer in Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes and Rhineland. After the war, he returned the University of Mississippi and graduated in 1947. Dr. Dampeer graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1950 and completed a surgical internship at Vanderbilt University Hospital in 1951. That year, with young children to provide for, he opened a medical practice in Kermit, Texas. In 1956, he returned to his surgical training and completed a general surgery residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1958. Dr. Dampeer moved back to Kermit and spent the next 20 years flying his plane all over West Texas to provide surgical care to far-reaching communities. With a desire to return to teaching, he arrived in Houma in 1978 to open the surgery department at South Louisiana Medical Center (now Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center) and chaired that department until his retirement in 2004 at the age of 80. He mentored countless surgical residents through the years, and the surgical suites at Chabert are named for him. Dr. Dampeer will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. He was a humble man who referred to himself as, “an old country doctor from West Texas,” an adventurous traveller, avid reader and loved crossword puzzles, motorcycles, gardening and animals. The family wishes to especially thank Jeremiah Boudwin who provided Dr. John with such loving and respectful care and companionship in his last two years. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Chabert Medical Center Foundation, P.O.Box 4337, Houma, LA 70361 NEWPAPERS: Houma Times Picayune Atlanta Journal Constitution Artesia Daily Press Winkler County News Odessa Amercan Enterprise Journal, McComb, MS