Omar Legant, M.D.

born in 1915 in New York City of “poor but honest” Russian immigrant parents. Omar was a child actor on Broadway, graduate of NYC DeWitt Clinton Math and Science High School, a graduate of Columbia College (at age 19) and subsequently, Columbia’s medical school. He interned at Bellevue Hospital. The attack on Pearl Harbor brought him into the navy for the next 4 ½ years. For two years he sojourned with a defense battalion of the Marine Corps on Funafuti, an island in the South Pacific (you can look it up) acquiring an aversion to Spam and a liking for cigars. Following this illuminating experience, he spent three years as a resident in radiology at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, terminating in his appointment to the full-time faculty. In 1949 Omar, his wife and two oldest children traveled out west in a black, two-door Chevrolet covered wagon to become the director of the St. Joseph’s Hospital X-Ray Department in Albuquerque, and remained identified with it for 35 years. He was a founding member of X-Ray Associates (now XRANM). When Omar retired after 35 years, XRANM comprised 23 board certified MD diagnostic radiologists. He was Chief of Staff at St. Joseph’s and held every elective office of the Medical Society at the county and state level. With Joe Garcia, the chief x-ray technician, Omar founded the St. Joseph Hospital School of X-Ray Technology, the first in the state of New Mexico. It was a two-year course which qualified the students to take and pass a national exam entitling him/her to be a Registered Technologist (RT). Omar was an insatiable reader, an avid fly fisherman, and will now rejoin his golfing foursome of over fifty years: Dr. John Torrens, Mr. Stu Leigh, and Dr. Bill Kridelbaugh. With his passing, Omar can again join his wife, Jean, on the back porch to share a cigar and conversation. Omar was the husband of the late Jean Dalgety Legant, the brilliant and endearing partner in a sixty-three year marriage. Omar was especially proud of his wonderful family, the greater credit for which goes to his wife, Jean (Ph.D.). All the Legant children are hooked on higher education: Patricia (Ph.D., M.D.) (Husband Tom Parks); Paul (M.D.), (wife Kristin); Amy (Ed.D.) retired school principal; Ellen (B.A. Music Education and M.A. Performing Arts) music teacher. Omar is also survived by his 4 grandchildren: Andrew (wife Kim), Bradley (wife Cara), Wesley (wife Colette) and Anna; and by his 3 great-grandchildren Owen, Ethan and Evie. Omar requested no formal memorial service be held. He lives in our memories. In lieu of flowers, the family requests friends consider making donations to their favorite charities.

Omar Legant, M.D.

June 23, 1915 - January 6, 2014