December 07, 2022

AsMA was notified recently of the death of two members. 

Dwight Peake
The AsMA Home Office was saddened to hear that Dr. Dwight E. Peake, M.D., M.P.H., a former member of AsMA and Chief Medical Officer and Flight Surgeon at the Armstrong Flight Research Center, has died. Before he served at NASA, he was an Emergency Physician at the Veterans Administration in Temple, TX. He was a Colonel in the Air Force from 2008-2014 and before that an Aerospace Occupational Physician at NASA Johnson Space Center. He joined AsMA in 2008 and was also a member of the Society of U.S. Air Force Flight Surgeons (SoUSAFFS).

Mark Thoman
Home Office Staff were also saddened to hear of the death of Mark E. Thoman, B.A., M.D., an Associate Fellow of AsMA. A native of Chicago, IL, USA, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation from high school. After an injury, he went on reserve status; during that time, he attended and graduated from Graceland Junior College, the University of Missouri, and the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He completed a residency in pediatrics and joined the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington, DC, in 1965, where he was a writer and pediatric consultant for the Poison Control Branch. He then became Chief of Pediatrics at the hospital on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock, NM.
   In 1967, Dr. Thoman moved to Des Moines, IA, to start a private practice in pediatrics. In 1968, in collaboration with other doctors, he helped charter the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, where he served as journal editor, president, and member of the board. Due to his efforts, the American College of Medical Toxicology is now recognized as a subspecialty by the American Board of Medical Specialists. He was also instrumental in founding several other medical associations and programs and was the recipient of many honors.
   In 1988, Dr. Thoman joined the U.S. Navy Reserve, where he achieved the rank of Captain, and served as a flight surgeon on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. He eventually became a private pilot, which led to him becoming a senior consultant and faculty member for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He also reviewed pharmacology and toxicology matters for the Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   For a more extensive biography, please visit the obituary posted at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/obituaries/dmr125813.