Dr. Oscar Syme
10500 Academy Rd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111
(505) 256-9592

The Montebello on Academy
10500 Academy Road, N.E.
Alburquerque, NM 87111
Phone: 505-297-9944

Interview with Oscar Syme by Jake Spidle
Syme, Oscar, M.D., 1919-. [abstract] [Oral History PDF]
FL 1264; 1 folder. 2 sound cassettes (120 min.) + 1 transcript (17 p.), news clippings.
Interview with Oscar Syme by Jake Spidle surveys Dr. Syme’s life and career as a pediatrician in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Access Term(s): Oral History; Physicians, Pediatrics.

2 sound cassettes (120 min.) + 1 transcript (17 p.), correspondence, interviewee agreement, news clippings
Notes University of New Mexico Medical Center Library. New Mexico Medical History Program
Recorded in Albuquerque, N.M., Mar. 2, 1990
Summary This interview with Dr. Oscar Syme (1919- ), a pediatrician of Albuquerque, New Mexico, surveys his life and career as a New Mexico physician. A native of the West, Dr. Syme received his medical and specialty training in New York City, then set up a private practice in pediatrics in Albuquerque in 1949. For nearly four decades he was one of the central figures of New Mexico’s pediatrics community. Among the subjects discussed in this interview are Dr. Syme’s personal and professional backgrounds; the “old guard” physicians of Albuquerque and their accommodation to the new specialists arriving on the scene after World War Two; medical facilities in the town in the 1950′s and 60′s; the major figures of the Albuquerque and New Mexico pediatrics community; the creation of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and its impact on the community and state; continuing medical education; major changes in pediatrics over the tenure of his practice; and others

Miriam H. (Mimi), 90, passed away Thursday, May 22, 2008. She was born Tuesday, March 12, 1918. Mimi came to New Mexico at the age of two where her father was a Methodist minister until his death. She was a member of Central United Methodist Church, Animal Humane Association of New Mexico, Four Hills Country Club, Highland Senior Center and numerous organizations for protection of the environment and organizations for the help and protection of animals. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Oscar Syme; daughter, Dr. Roberta Syme and husband, Dr. Jerry Rightman of Santa Fe, NM; sons, Peter Syme, Dr. William C. Syme and wife, Dr. Joyce Phillips; granddaughter, Rachel E. Syme; grandson, Noah P. Syme all of Albuquerque and brother, Dr. Charles E. Higbee of Seattle, WA; brother-in-law, David Syme; sister-in-law, Pat Syme and their children; sister-in-law, Gus MacNamara and her family; nephew, Joel Bright and his wife, Angela of Hawaii. Services to be announced at a later date will be held at Central United Methodist Church, 201 University Blvd. NE, 87106.

Family and friends of Oscar Syme, M.D., 91, came together to remember him and celebrate his life in a story-filled non-religious service at the University of New Mexico Memorial Chapel.

Oscar was a pediatrician for 38 years in Albuquerque, providing practical, no-nonsense, compassionate medical care for thousands of children and soothing their anxious parents. He was recognized everywhere he went in town, and his children and grandchildren still get the question, “Are you related to THE Dr. Syme?”

He was born in 1919 on a ranch near Laramie, Wyoming and was inspired to become a physician at the age of nine. That’s when he became seriously ill and local doctor came to care for him, staying at the ranch a few days until he got well. From a small cow town in Wyoming during the Depression, Oscar used his brilliant mind to secure scholarships for college. He became one of those doctors who made house calls.

He knew he wanted to be a physician, but it wasn’t until he served as a doctor at a military base in the Philippines during World War II that he decided to be a pediatrician. His medical school and residency training took place in New York City, where he met and married his wife Miriam, who was the breadwinner during that time. They returned to Albuquerque where he opened his pediatrics practice in 1949.

Those who eloquently spoke about Oscar included his three children, two grandchildren, several in-laws, brother, neighbors and colleagues. They painted a portrait of a dedicated doctor, father, fly fisher, golfer, and master gardener. Their stories richly detailed a tremendously active man of many talents with a deep love of life.

One son did a show-and-tell presentation with several items: the bamboo fly rod his father inherited from his father, one of many putters Dad hoped would be the magic wand that would improve his score a few points, and a handmade carpentry box used to this day.

The daughter talked about how Dad would read to her at bedtime when she was a child and showed the Dr. Seuss book that was her favorite. She spoke of how Oscar was always buying his wife jewelry for birthdays and special events. He always got lovely pieces that she asked for, until the year she didn’t specify anything in particular and he gave her a “dust buster.” That didn’t sit too well, and in penance he brought her breakfast in bed every month on the 12th, her birth date. On her next birthday, Oscar gave his wife a “dust buster” made of turquoise, which the daughter wore proudly around her neck.

Oscar was famous for wearing bow ties and being a lifelong learner, hiking the La Luz Trail for the first time at the age of 80, backpacking with a homemade tent and sleeping bag, and being a great photographer who made slide shows every Christmas that detailed the family’s year. The vegetables and flowers he grew were legendary. He was a jogger before jogging was popular.

Dr. Omar Legant, whose friendship with “Ozzie” goes back to the 1940s, spoke fondly of times spent fishing and golfing with him. He also mentioned Oscar’s descent into Alzheimers disease toward the end of his life, saying, “It seems customary at memorial services to share amusing stories, but I can’t think of anything funny… It’s painful to see a fine mind unravel and drift away.”

The service ended with the observation that “We did a good job of celebrating his life today.” Everyone was invited to the youngest son’s home for a reception to continue the conversation.

Dr. Oscar Syme, your spirit lives on in the many people you have touched. As your youngest son said, we mourn your passing and celebrate the magnificent being that you were and still are.