Hamdi Akar, M.D., died on March 24, 2019, after a brief illness.  He was born on May 17, 1922, in Mucur, Turkey, the son of Huseyin and Rahime Akar.  At age six, he entered boarding school in Kayseri; he completed his secondary school studies at the Balikesir School in 1937 and was graduated from the Vefa Lyceum in Istanbul in 1941.  He entered Istanbul University in 1943 and obtained his degree in medicine at the University’s Faculty of Medicine in 1948.  After medical school, he entered the Turkish Air Force as a physician, completing his national service in 1949. 

During his years in college and medical school, Dr. Akar played volleyball and soccer for the University teams. 

Dr. Akar came to the United States in 1950 for specialty training and completed an internship and medical residency at the Alexandria Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia.  He was Chief Resident in Internal Medicine at Garfield Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., from 1952 to 1955.   

 Dr. Akar married Elizabeth Burns Woolls of Alexandria in 1952.  In 1955, Dr. and Mrs. Akar moved to Bath, Maine, where Dr. Akar opened his practice in Internal Medicine and Cardiology.  He was an active member of the Maine Medical Association and held various positions at the Bath Memorial Hospital, including Chief of Medicine.  He was a longtime member of the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association.  He retired in 1990. 

He is survived by his daughters, Rahime Morgan (Joel) of Buena Vista, Colorado; Margaret Fast, of Cumberland Foreside, Maine, and Elizabeth Willard (Glenn) of Bend, Oregon, and by his grandchildren, Benjamin Morgan (Deborah), Tiffany Ellis (Joseph), Joshua Morgan, Harry Fast, and Thomas Fast.  He was predeceased by his beloved son, Hamdi Akar, Jr., and his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 2012 and to whom he was devoted. 

During his 35 years in private practice, Dr. Akar contributed generously to his community.  He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed both salt water and fresh water fishing in Maine and Florida. 

Dr. Akar’s family would like to thank the staff at The Highlands in Topsham, Maine, and the CHANS Home Health & Hospice group for the exceptional care they provided. 

 A memorial service will be held at a later date.  Arrangements are by Daigle Funeral Home, 819 High Street, Bath.