Dr. Syed Omer, MD, MA, MRCP, FRCP, age 87, of Morganton passed away Saturday, November 21, 2015 at his residence with his family and closest friends. Dr. Omer was born in Hyderabad, India on August 15, 1928 and moved to Morganton in 1971 where he became Director of Neuroscience and Neurology at Broughton Hospital and Internist at Grace Hospital, until his retirement in 2001. During his retirement, he was a volunteer physician at the Good Samaritan Clinic until 2013.
He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and leader in the Morganton Muslim community. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Fareeda Quadri Omer; son, Dr. Aziz Syed Omer; daughter, Ayesha Omer Thornton; daughter-in-law, Dr. Angela Dawn Omer; son-in-law, Donald Joseph Thornton; and his granddaughter "choonie-ma" Sofia Omer Thornton. He was pre-deceased by his son, Osman Syed Omer; his father, Syed Aziz; and his mother, Fatima Begum. Dr. Omer was the last survivor of nine siblings.
Dr. Omer had many professional achievements, one of the more notable being induction in the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, Scotland in 1956. In 2012, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.
Dr. Omer obtained his Medical Degree from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India in 1950, winning gold medals for standing first in his class. He stayed on as Assistant Professor of Pathology until 1952. His first move to the United States was in mid-1952 when he completed a residency in Pathology at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD. In 1954 he earned his Masters in Pathology after a Teaching and Research Fellowship from the University of Texas at Galveston. Dr. Omer then went to the United Kingdom for postgraduate Neurology training in London and Edinburgh, Scotland.
From 1956 to 1964, Dr. Omer served as a physician in the Indian Government, during which time he held Professorships at Osmania, Gandhi and King George Medical Colleges. From 1964 to 1969, Dr. Omer worked in private practice in India. From 1969-70, Dr. Omer worked in Taif, Saudia Arabia, where he was the personal physician to Crown Prince Khalid, who later became King of Saudia Arabia.
In 1993, Dr. Omer was one of the founding fathers of the Islamic Society of Morganton. The other founding members include: Dr. Mustaq Bukhari, Ajaz Khan, Dr. Masood Mohiuddin, and Dr. Meraj Mohiuddin.
Dr. Omer left a profound and long-lasting impression on everyone he met. He will be missed greatly by all family, friends, and everyone who knew him.
Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.
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