Doctor built urology practice in Arlington Hts.
Dr. Thomas Sammons was a prominent physician in the Northwest suburbs, who helped build one of the original urology practices at Northwest Community Hospital, and later served as its chief of staff.
However, colleagues say, he never lost sight of his start, as a family practitioner in Palatine.
Dr. Sammons passed away on Monday. The longtime Palatine resident, most recently of Arlington Heights, was 74.
His practice, Northwest Urological Associates in Arlington Heights, continues to thrive, and serve patients at Northwest Community Hospital and Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village.
Dr. Daniel Piazza, who worked along side of Dr. Sammons, says patients still come in asking about Dr. Sammons.
"The patients loved him. He took a lot of what he learned as a general practitioner, and put it into practice as a urologist," Piazza says. "He would try and treat the whole patient, not just their urological problem."
Dr. Sammons came to the Northwest suburbs in 1962, when he joined Dr. Herbert Rohr and Dr. David McCann in family practice. However his two associates soon found themselves drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, leaving Dr. Sammons to handle the load.
"For many years, he was the doctor in Palatine," says his son, Mike Sammons of Prospect Heights. "He delivered many, many babies in Palatine. And those were the days of making house calls, so he'd be getting calls at all hours of the night."
In his spare time, Dr. Sammons also ran the public health clinic in Palatine, which he continued to serve for several years, family members added.
In 1966, Dr. Sammons himself was drafted, leading him to move his family to the Anniston, Ala., Army Depot, where they lived for two years. Upon their return, he decided to pursue a specialty, rather than go back to family practice.
"He knew the demands were too much while trying to raise six children," says his wife, Sheila.
Dr. Sammons joined Northwest Urological Associates in 1970, and its founding partner, Dr. John Kozak. As the practice grew, Dr. Sammons became more involved with the medical staff at Northwest Community Hospital, serving as its president in 1994.
His wife worked by his side for 19 years in the practice, bringing her background as a registered nurse to her role as office manager. She retired in 1998, and Dr. Sammons followed, in 1999.
Visitation takes place from 4-9 p.m. today at Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights, before a 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, funeral Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church, 2515 W. Palatine Road in Inverness.