Dr. Bud Edward Quintana

Dr. Bud Edward Quintana, Ph.D

Dr. Bud Edward Quintana, Ph.D passed away on November 28, 2015, at Ohio State University Medical Center, surrounded by his family and close friends, the result of a tragic accident while hiking.

Bud was born in Hawthorne, California on April 1, 1942. He was 73 years old, the oldest of three sons.

Bud led a colorful and accomplished life. He grew up in southern California amongst a tight-knit clan of cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends. He surfed, ran track, and his dad taught him to work on cars which led to a life-long love affair with cars -the faster the better. He was vice president of South High school in Torrance, class of 1960. He was introduced to the world of medicine at his first job as an Orderly at the newly opened Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, while he went to school. He graduated from CSULB and got his Ph.D from University of California (1970). He attended medical school at University of Health Sciences in Medicine (DO), Iowa, and completed his training in general and thoracic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in 1975. He settled in Ohio, and would visit his family and friends back in California.

He worked much of his career in trauma and emergency care medicine, saving countless lives, and also taught medical students and residents at several universities, which he so enjoyed.

Bud worked hard and played hard. He cruised the highways of America on motorcycles, and raced cars, and collected them too. He loved music and played piano, especially the blues; and actually supported himself during medical school by playing piano in bars. He travelled, water and snow skied, studied karate and kick-boxing, and was basically a health and fitness buff. He had a few close calls along the way. Bud was restless, curious and a voracious reader; when he wanted to learn something, he would research it endlessly. Bud kept up life-long friendships all over the country.

But, Bud also had his struggles with alcohol and other addictions at times, which caused turbulence in his life. He was an AA member for decades, as mentee and mentor, and these friendships were very important to his health and balance.

Not one to retire, Bud most recently worked as director of the Suboxone program, laser treatment and out-patient surgery at Community Health Center, and was on faculty at NEOMED in Summa Health System's residency program for family physicians, and was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2008.

On October 20th, he took his board exam in addiction medicine.

Bud was preceded in death by father, Henry George Quintana and mother, June Grace Streur. He is survived by daughter, Kara (Roger Nagaoka) of San Pedro, Calif.; son, Michael of Carson, Calif., (Karen Luceyk Nardin); grandchildren, Erik of Chesapeake, Va., Kevin and Allison of San Pedro, Calif.; brothers, Jack Quintana of Bishop, Calif., Thomas Quintana of Hawthorne, Calif.

Bud's family wishes to thank first responder officer Ryan Swigart of Hocking State Park and Hocking Valley Community Hospital for their diligent care, the good Samaritans who jumped in, and the medical and pastoral staff at Ohio State University Medical Center who were so attentive to the family through the ordeal, Jim Cross, a father-like friend who was very dear to Bud. And last, Laura Farris his beautiful fianceé. The couple were hiking along the trail on Thanksgiving day after dinner, when Bud stumbled, possibly on a tree root, headfirst into a tree, suffering major neck and spinal injury, his adventurous, ever-changing life, ending in her arms. Their several years together were among the happiest and most peaceful of his life.

Funeral service will be held at St. Michael Catholic Church, 3430 St. Michael Drive NW, Canton Ohio, Monday, Dec. 7. Viewing Visitation 2 to 4 p.m., service 4 to 5:30, light reception immediately following in the hall.

Bud was a long-time supporter of St. Jude and credited the Betty Ford Center for saving his life. In lieu of flowers please, donations can be made to Hazelden Betty Ford Clinic www.hazeldenbettyford.org and St Jude Children's Hospital, www.stjude.org. Swigart-Easterling, 330-854-2356

http://www.swigarteasterlingfuneralhome.com/