Julian Thomas "Bill" Parer

1934 - 2016

Julian Thomas "Bill" Parer

Sept 2, 1934 - Aug 3, 2016

Doctor Julian Thomas "Bill" Parer died on the hillsides of Mt. Tamalpais on the evening of August 3, 2016, doing what he loved, hiking with his beloved Queensland Blue Heeler, James. Bill was an avid outdoorsman, physician, researcher and family man, and he touched the lives of all those he encountered. He will be remembered for his quick and easy laugh, stubborn will, razor-sharp intellect and love of basic science. Bill was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1934, the third of four boys, to Stan and Irene Parer. He obtained a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Melbourne University and a Masters of Rural Science from the University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, where he met the love of his life, Robin Parer. When deciding to immigrate to America from Australia, Bill said he simply studied a map of the United States to determine the area with the most climbing peaks and applied to study there. Bill showed up in Oregon with only an ice axe, his backpack and Robin. He received a PhD from Oregon State University and an MD from the University of Washington in Seattle. After completing his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California Medical Center, Dr. Parer joined the faculty of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco in 1974, as a perinatologist and as a researcher, reaching the rank of Professor. He was Fellowship Director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellows in the department, as well as Division Director of Perinatal Medicine and Biology for many years. His research focused on fetal heart rate monitoring, and he collaborated with investigators in Japan and Chile. He cared for thousands of high risk pregnant women in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, many of whom were grateful for his specialized skills in intrauterine transfusion for the fetus, and in the placement of cervical sutures to prevent pregnancy loss. Dr. Parer was active in many professional societies, including the San Francisco Gynecological Society and the Pacific Coast Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, of which he was President in 2010. He created and directed a continuing medical education course for 40 years on antepartum and intrapartum management, which attracted attendees from all over the United States. Bill continued to write, teach and practice obstetrics for 42 years until his death. As his colleague Dr. Mary Norton wrote, "He represented the true academic spirit, and loved research, high quality clinical care, and education and training of our fellows, residents, and medical students". He continued to indulge in his passion for the outdoors, completing the final segment of the of the 140 mile long Larapinta trail in Central Australia with his nieces Catherine and Juliette just two weeks ago. To quote his nephew Benji, Bill has "now eschewed wings in favor of hiking all the way up to heaven".

Doctor Parer is survived by his wife, Robin, son Bud, daughter-in-law Karen, granddaughter Sinclaire, his three brothers, John, Michael and David, along with a large extended family, and his beloved dog James.

A memorial Service will be held. Contact BillParerMemorial@gmail.com for further details.