MPH William Murphy Marine. M.D.

William (Bill) Marine died on May 3 at age 89 after a long struggle with pulmonary fibrosis and Parkinson's disease. He left behind his loving wife, Susan, three children (Linda, Jan and Steve), seven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. He was a kind man who cared deeply for others, and he will be greatly missed by his wife and family, friends, and colleagues. Born the only child of Janette and Raymond Marine, Bill grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he attended McCallie School. He earned his B.A. from Emory University in 1953, and his M.D. from Emory in 1957. He interned and did his first year of residency at New York Hospital. He was then recruited to the Epidemic Intelligence Service at CDC and was assigned to the Kansas City Field Station. He researched the polio epidemics of 1959-60 and proved the Salk vaccine effective. At the Univ. of Michigan, he studied influenza and earned a Master's in Public Health. Dr. Marine returned to Emory (in Atlanta) as a faculty member in the Dept. of Preventive Medicine and Community Health (1964). He was an attending physician in internal medicine and did research on influenza and the rubella epidemic. He played a key role in founding one of the first Neighborhood Health Centers, part of the War on Poverty. He developed a Master's Program in Public Health and a course for medical students focused on treating the patient as a whole person - not just a diagnosis. In 1975 he came to Colorado to be chair of Preventive Medicine in the C.U. Medical School. He developed curricula for medical and nursing students and built collaborative relationships with other departments at the Health Sciences Center and beyond. He headed the Mountain Plains Outreach Program to improve access to primary health care in rural areas. After stepping down as chairman, his interests shifted to macro-level issues. Working with CDPHE, Bill developed a surveillance system for occupational injuries. He documented the effectiveness of seat belts and child seats in auto crashes. He studied DUI enforcement and the use of ignition interlocks to promote sober driving. In 1985 he started the General Preventive Medicine Residency program and was passionate about mentoring his residents and advancing their careers in public health. He was active in university governance and chaired the University's Promotion and Tenure Committee and served as president of the School of Medicine Faculty Senate. Bill retired as Professor Emeritus in 2000, after 36 years in academic medicine. Over the years, Dr. Marine held leadership roles in several national organizations (Council for Education on Public Health and the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine) and received numerous awards. While his career in medicine was surely of great importance, he loved his family. Bill and his beloved wife of 43 years were soulmates who shared interests in health care, education, and politics. They hiked and went cross country skiing, enjoyed movies, museums, and plays. They made yearly trips to Santa Fe and, in summer, spent time in Maine. After retirement, they traveled the world. Susan will miss the companionship of her husband. Bill gave generously of his time to the Boulder community, including serving as president of the board of the Boulder County Health Dept., acting as board member for Rise Against Suicide, and serving on numerous school committees. He was an active member of Community United Church of Christ. A memorial service to celebrate Bill's life will be held on June 4 at 2 pm at the Canyons, Frasier Meadows, 350 Ponca Place in Boulder. Online condolences may be sent to GreenwoodMyersfuneral.com. A more detailed obituary will be posted at the same address. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Colorado Foundation for the William M. Marine Endowment for the Preventive Medicine Residency (Fund 0254196) or the School of Education (Boulder) Scholarships in memory of Alice Marine (Fund 0122443). Donations can be mailed to the University of Colorado Foundation at P.O. Box 17126, Denver, CO. 80217-9155 with the fund number on the memo line or called into the CU Foundation at 303-541-1290.