OBITUARY Paul Michael BALSON May 27, 1940 – December 31, 2018 Colonel Paul Michael Balson, MD, MPH passed away peacefully on December 31st at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, embraced by the love of his family. Dr. Balson was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on May 27, 1940, the son of Paul John and Petronella Balson. He was an avid student, eagle scout, athlete, and friend of the town’s many animals.
Paul attended La Salle University on scholarship, where he was a radio announcer for the school’s sports teams, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Medical School, graduating in 1967. A cadet in ROTC, Paul joined the army as a trauma surgeon and was assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI, where he was honored as the top medical intern. His interest in the mental healing of his soldiers led Paul from surgery to psychiatry.
On his next assignments, to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC and Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, he studied and worked as a clinical psychiatrist. Over his twenty-four year military career, Paul served as Co-Chief of the Defense Department’s Combat Medical Work Group, Co-Chief of the Defense Department’s Medical Information Technology Research Group, Chief of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at the US Army Academy of Health Sciences in San Antonio, and Chief of Psychosomatic Medicine at Letterman Army Medical Center. As Paul prepared to retire from active military service, he turned to public health, earning a Masters of Public Health at UCLA, graduating maxima cum laude.
He was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor at Tulane’s School of Public Health and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at LSU’s School of Medicine. While in San Francisco and New Orleans, Paul was a vital member of the team of medical professionals fighting the AIDS epidemic. He focused on the public health crisis and how to heal a population being marginalized when they most needed medical care.
Later in his career, Paul spent many productive years working as a senior medical consultant for the state of California. Paul served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Health Education and was a member of the American College of Psychiatrists. He published over forty papers and oversaw a dozen research grants, particularly in the areas of AIDS research, mental health, and natural disaster recovery.
He also served as an expert witness in legal cases involving public health matters. Paul is survived by his devoted wife of 52 years, Bernice, son Paul John II and daughter Allison, and two beautiful grandchildren, Brennan and Phoebe. All who knew Paul will miss his profound wisdom, insight, humor and empathy.
He set a life-long example of hard work, love, and devotion to his country and the well-being of others. In lieu of flowers, please honor Paul by making a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project in his name at woundedwarriorproject.org.
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