Mark Babor Horton

March 8, 2023

Mark Babor Horton, MD

1946-2023

Dr. Mark Babor Horton (77), of San Diego, California, husband of Mary Ann Miller, passed away peacefully surrounded by his wife and family on March 8, 2023. Born in St. Louis, Missouri on January 31, 1946, Mark was the son of the late John and Veronica Horton of Florissant, Missouri. Mark is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Ann Miller and his three children, Molly Cheek (Matthew Cheek), Megan and Mark (Jennifer Horton) and 5 (soon to be 6) grandchildren. He is also survived by his four younger sisters, Nancy, Barbara, Marcia and Linda and his older brother John.

Mark was a perpetual learner and student, physician and dedicated public health advocate. He attended high school at Passionist Fathers Seminary in Warrenton, Missouri. He left the seminary to attend college at St. Louis University supported by the prestigious Presidential Scholarship. He continued at SLU for medical school graduating with his medical degree in 1972. After two years of pediatric residency at Northwestern University, he completed an ambulatory pediatric fellowship as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at Duke University. He earned a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health.

Mark began his career as a pediatrician in Omaha, Nebraska working at Boys Town National Research Institute and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Driven by a desire to extend his impact to address systemic health disparities, childrens' and public health, Mark shifted his career focus to public health administration. From 1992-1997, Mark served as Director of Public Health for the State of Nebraska. After moving to California in 1997, he held various directorial positions at San Diego Children's Hospital and Health Center. He served as Vice President for Community Programs, Director of the Center for Child Protection and Director for the Center for Healthier Communities for Children. He established a Southern California Medical Training Center to educate health professionals about child abuse and expanded home visiting services to prevent child abuse and improve children's health. In 1999, he was appointed County Director of Public Health/Health Officer for Orange County, California. Mark was a dedicated leader in developing a countywide partnership to provide home visiting services to all San Diego County families to help reduce the mistreatment of children and improve their health. From November 2005 through June 2007, he served as State Public Health Officer and Chief Deputy Director over Public Health Programs for the California Department of Health Services. In 2007, he was appointed as the first Director of the newly created California Department of Public Health and served in that position until early 2011. Following his directorship, Mark was a health leadership consultant working with the Center for Health Leadership and practice at the Public health institute in Oakland, California and served as an Impact Coach for the California Opioid Safety Network. He was on the Dean's Advisory Board at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health. Mark held faculty positions at San Diego State University, Drexel University, the University of Nebraska and Creighton University and served as a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics, the Board of the American Lung Association of Orange County, the Board of the Health Care Foundation for Orange County, and other public health associations. He also provided volunteer services in the Dominican Republic and Vietnam and for the Indian Chicano Health Center in Omaha.

In addition to his impactful career in pediatrics and public health, Mark was a devoted husband, inspiring father and adored sibling. Mark's passions included art, literature, music, food, travel, and fitness. Combining many of their interests, Mark and Mary Ann traveled extensively, enjoying cycling tours throughout the world and visits to his children and grandchildren. An avid guitarist and singer, Mark entertained family and friends at every opportunity. Mark was loved deeply and will be missed for his kindness, thoughtfulness, humor, and inquisitive mind.

His family extends their deepest gratitude to the faculty and staff at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, California for the kindness and compassion they provided Mark and his family.

The family will hold a memorial to celebrate Mark's life in St. Louis at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society at this link: https://donate.cancer.org.