Family members and friends gathered on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the United Methodist Church Family Center to honor Dr. Gerald O’Mealey for his service to the community and to congratulate him on his retirement. A graduate of Tonkawa High School and Northern Oklahoma College, Dr. O’Mealey earned the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from OSU in 1968 and began working at the Tonkawa Veterinary Clinic under Dr. M. L. Bergsten that same year.Truly a Renaissance man, Dr. O’Mealey earned honors as scrappy guard on THS football field and center for NOC’s team in addition to accolades as a singer in high school and college choirs. His scientific interests were always wide. As a keen observer of nature, he pondered becoming an entomologist before focusing on veterinary medicine.Dr. O’Mealey-“Doc” to his many friends and loved ones-took over leadership of the Tonkawa Veterinary Clinic in 1971. Over his 54+-year career, he managed veterinary clinics in both Tonkawa and Blackwell in addition to serving as the USDA’s acting veterinarian for three sale barns. Besides common companion animals and livestock, Dr. O’Mealey has treated a monkey, a snake, a lion, and if you’re lucky he’ll tell you a joke about treating an elephant.Beyond his practice, Dr. O’Mealey dedicated countless hours of service to the community of Tonkawa as a member of the Jacees and on the City Council as Vice Mayor. In service to the profession of Veterinary Medicine, he mentored several aspiring young veterinarians throughout the years, providing guidance, experience, and knowledge.Dr. O’Mealey’s many long-time clients treasure him for his gift of being able to connect with the animals in his care. Whether sharing the joy of a new life entering the world, or easing the pain of a life that is passing, Dr. O’Mealey’s compassion for all of God’s creatures is ever-present.Mayor Ken Smith joined the retirement celebration, proclaiming Saturday, December 3, 2022 as Gerald O’Mealey Day in Tonkawa. In reflecting on his life-long career serving Tonkawa, Dr. O’Mealey thanked the community of Tonkawa for providing such a wonderful place to practice, and commented that, “Nobody could stay at a job for as long as I have unless they really liked it. And I did.”
