Michael Anthony Paoletti ’52

Mike Paoletti died on Sept. 21, 1989, at Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasedena, Calif., of respiratory failure due to fungal pneumonia. He had struggled for several years with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Shortly before he was hospitalized, Mike had returned from a grand tour of London, Paris, and Rome with his wife, Joan, and their son Michael Jr.

Mike's lifelong passion was the practice of medicine, in the specialty of orthopaedic surgery. After graduation from Princeton, where he majored in biology, he attended Jefferson Medical College, and completed his residency at the New Jersey Orthopaedic Hospital, Orange, NJ. He maintained a private surgical practice in Orange from 1961 to 1970.

In 1971 Mike moved to California, where he was senior orthopaedic surgeon at the Gallatin Medical Clinic in Downey. His tenure there continued until 1985, during which time he helped to develop the sub-specialty of arthroscopic surgery. Mike was a founding member of the International Arthroscopy Assn., and he was a diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He was also a fellow in the American and International Colleges of Surgeons.

In early 1986, Mike became consultant to United Medical Specialists, Santa Ana, Calif. He had long maintained an interest in classical music, theater, and opera; with Joan he scoured auctions for antiques, and together they renovated two homes.

Besides Joan and Michael, Mike is survived by two sisters, Constance Luongo and Lucille Sherwood. To them we offer our profound sympathy.

The Class of 1952