Dr. Henry Mead Doremus, 99, of Indian River County, passed away peacefully at Indian River Estates on Nov. 9, 2014.
He is survived by his children Peter M. Doremus (Jain) of Punta Gorda, Fla., Whitney Doremus and her partner Shannon Lowe, Gregory H. Doremus (Anne) of Shelburne, Vt.; grandchildren Luke Doremus (Rachel); great-grandchildren Max, Owen; Jeffrey Doremus and Theodore Doremus. He also leaves behind Ruth Moore of Vero Beach, a close companion and travel partner for many years.
Born in Newark, N.J. on March 13, 1915, he was the son of the late Munson G. Doremus and Elizabeth “Bessie” Ward Doremus. He grew up in a family with deep roots in the Newark area.
He attended Montclair Academy, graduated in 1933 and then entered Dartmouth College. Doremus blossomed at Dartmouth becoming a Biology major and honing his considerable outdoorsman skills. He made lifelong friends that would meet several times a year for the next 50 years.
He graduated cumlaude in 1937. A devoted Dartmouth alumnus, he attended class reunions into his 90’s. Doremus then received a Fellowship from Cornell University where he completed his Master’s in Biology in 1938. While at Cornell he was introduced to Helen Borchmann on a blind date. Helen was a sophomore in Cornell’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
He and Helen were later engaged, and left Cornell after Helen’s graduation from Vet school in 1940. They were married on Feb. 21, 1941. Doremus life-long partner of 61 years, Helen, passed away on July 20, 2002.
Helen convinced Doremus that practicing Veterinary medicine together was their calling and future. In 1943, the two returned to Cornell and Doremus enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine while Helen worked for the University.
Their first son, Peter M. Doremus, was born in Ithaca, N.Y. in 1945. Having completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in June 1946, the family moved to their loved home “Rocky Ridge” in Lincoln Park, N.J. and started the Doremus Animal Hospital nearby in Cedar Grove.
Over the next 12 years, the couple worked tirelessly to grow the animal hospital into a thriving practice that employed two additional full time veterinarians and numerous staff. During this time, they began to vacation in Stowe, Vt. On one particular visit they purchased, and later remodeled, an old farm house in Stowe Hollow.
In 1958, their second son, Gregory H. Doremus, was born. Later that year, the Doremus’ decided that they wanted a less pressured life from their bustling Cedar Grove practice and moved the family to Stowe. They built the Green Mountain Animal Hospital in South Burlington, Vt. which operates to this day. They sold the hospital two years later, and Doremus began what would be a 20 year career with the University of Vermont as a Professor of Pharmacology and Director of Research Animal Facilities.
Doremus loved Stowe and Vermont and spent many fine years skiing, hunting, fishing, sailing on Lake Champlain and riding horses with Helen. After a year sailing their Pearson 35, Veritas throughout the Bahamas, the Doremus’ retired to Vero Beach in 1980.
Doremus’ retirement was very active as he and Helen devoted time growing and improving the Vero Beach Humane Society. Hank also served as a docent at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Stuart.
He was an active Rotarian for over 50 years in Cedar Grove, N.J., Stowe, Vt., Burlington, Vt. and Vero Beach. He was loved by many people during his life and was always known as an easy going, warm and loyal man.
The family would like to thank the residents and staff at Indian River Estates Retirement Community where Doremus resided for more than 15 years. A memorial service will be held at a future date. Contributions in Hank’s memory can be made to The Humane Society of Vero Beach, P.O. Box 644, Vero Beach, FL 32961-0644, or the Chittenden County Humane Society, 142 Kindness Ct, South Burlington, VT 05403.
