Alan B. Compton

Col. Alan B. Compton (retired,) was born April 24, 1946 at Seaside Hospital, Long Beach, California. He grew up in Wilmington, CA, where his father, Madison, was a long-time teacher at Banning High School, and his mother taught 3rd grade. He was an Eagle Scout with the BSA, graduated from Banning High School in 1963. Earned his B.A. in American history at UCLA, attended medical college at Rutgers University, and graduated with an M.D. at UCSF in 1971, where he met his wife Carol in a medical Spanish course. After completing his residency and internship in internal medicine at the University of Kansas in 1974, he was placed on active duty in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He served 20 years, stationed in Augsburg, Germany, twice at the Presidio of San Francisco, Redstone Arsenal, AL, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He completed a residency in psychiatry at Walter Reed, and obtained board certification in both internal medicine and psychiatry. After discharge from the Army in 1994, he served as a psychiatrist at the Victorville Behavioral Health Clinic up until 2004. That same year he became a psychiatrist at the VA Behavioral Health Clinic in Santa Rosa, CA and retired from the medical practice in 2009. He enjoyed historical interest books, classical music, jazz, feeding and listening to birds, and was a member of the Lutheran Church. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Carol; Brother Donald, daughter Christine Hall (Mike) of Bonita, CA; son Madison Alan (Tena) of Portland, OR; two granddaughters, two grandsons, and a step grandson. He was preceded in death by his brother William Douglas Compton. A memorial service will be held on Saturday June 14th at 10:30AM, at St. Stephens Lutheran Church, Palmdale, CA. In honor of Alan Compton, a memorial donation may be sent to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, P.O. Box 17279, Baltimore, MD 21297, or to a Lutheran church of your choice.