Dr. Orville Keith Hamilton

Dr. Orville Keith Hamilton, 85

Dr. Hamilton was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on July 23, 1936, son of the late Orville and Constance Hamilton. He passed away on October 28, 2021 at his home in Dover, Delaware.

He graduated from Lynchburg College in 1958 and from the Medical College of Virginia in 1962. He later served on the Lynchburg College Alumni Board of Directors. He interned at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, and did a 4 year surgical residency at the Medical College of Virginia. 

Dr. Hamilton was in the Air Force for 2 years and was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. He also completed a 2 year cardio-vascular surgery residency and a vascular surgery fellowship at Emory University.

He met his future wife (Betty May Kovacs) at Lynchburg College and they were married in 1960.  In 1971 they moved to Dover when Dr. Hamilton joined the surgical practice of Dr. James McNinch and the staff of Kent General Hospital (now Bayhealth) in the practice of general, thoracic, and vascular surgery.

Dr. Hamilton was a diplomat of both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.  He was also a member of the American Medical Association and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Chest Physicians.

He was President of the Kent County Medical Society, and served on the Board of Trustees for the Medical Society of Delaware. He was also a member of the Delaware Board of Medical Practice for 7 years.  Dr. Hamilton was chairman of Kent General's Department of surgery for 2 years, President of the

Medical Staff for 2 years, and served on the Hospital's

Board of Directors for several years. He retired in 2006.

He attended the Presbyterian Church of Dover and was a long-time member of the Camden/Wyoming Rotary Club.

He is survived by Betty May, his wife of 61 years, 2 nieces and 1 nephew - Laura Hamilton, Linda Hamilton, and Carroll Stanford Hamilton Il, and cousins Patricia Brodie, Cathy Sue Pearce, and Sandy Pearce.  He was proceeded in death by his niece, Leslie Hamilton Freas, and an older brother, Carroll Stanford Hamilton, who was a physician in Pocomoke City, Maryland.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday,

November 13th at The Presbyterian Church of Dover, 54 South State Street, Dover, Delaware. Visitation 1 hour prior to the service. Please wear a mask. Private interment will follow the service.

Instead of flowers, please consider contributions to The First State Animal Center and SPCA, 32 Shelter Circle, Wyoming, DE, 19934 or to your favorite charity.

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