UAA mourns the death of Dr. Robert Fortuine

It is with great sadness that we note retired U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) physician and historian Robert Fortuine died Monday, May 12, from pneumonia at his home in Wasilla. He was 75.

Speaking for many Alaska Native Medical Center staff, oncologist Greg Marino, M.D., remembered Fortuine as "our dear friend, colleague, mentor and role model. Many of our senior physicians were inspired by his leadership. He was a well-known physican who dedicated his professional life to the care of Alaska Natives. He was also a scholar and widely recognized as the medical historian of Alaska." A list of some of his books is available at the UAA Campus Bookstore Web site.

In addition to his writing, in 1989 Fortuine began training a generation of Alaska's future physicians by joining the faculty of the Alaska WWAMI program. (The WWAMI name is from the first letter of participating states: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho).

Dr. Fortuine received his medical degree from McGill University in 1960 and his Master of Public Health from Harvard University in 1968. He served with the USPHS from 1961 until his retirement in 1987. He first came to Alaska in 1963. He served as Service Unit Director for USPHS Alaska Native hospitals in Dillingham (1963-64); Bethel (1964-67); and Anchorage (1971-77); and as Deputy Chief of Family Medicine at Alaska Native Medical Center (1980-1987). Fortuine was active in several national and Alaska medical professional associations, as well as the American Society for Circumpolar Health and the International Symposium for Circumpolar Health.

Dr. Fortuine continued his close affiliation with the USPHS Commissioned Corps after retirement. He will be dearly missed by his fellow Commissioned Corps Officers, colleagues, friends and patients. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 at the First Covenant Church, 1145 C Street.

In lieu of flowers, Dr. Fortuine requested donations be made to the Amundsen Education Foundation in Soldotna, which is a faith-based Native training center for young people from villages. He was one of the founders of this program. More details are available at the center's Web site.