Donald J. Dalessio

1931 - 2017

Donald J. Dalessio March 2, 1931 - February 25, 2017 La Jolla Donald J. Dalessio, M.D., died at his home in La Jolla, CA in the early evening on February 25, 2017, five days short of his 86th birthday. A 1956 graduate of Yale Medical College, Dr. Dalessio served for many years as chairman of the Medicine Group for the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla. There he gained his reputation as one of the nation's prime neurologists, researching and specializing in the treatment of severe migraine headaches. Upon his retirement from active practice, Dr. Dalessio was honored by his colleagues at Scripps by having the headache clinic bear his name: The Donald J. Dalessio Headache Center at Scripps Clinic. In addition to his practice, Dr. Dalessio wrote and/or edited multiple editions of "Wolff's Headache", the standard text used by doctors throughout the nation and abroad for headache pain. He also wrote innumerable scholarly reports and edited the National Headache Journal, the Scripps Clinic Personal Health Newsletter, served on the editorial board for the Journal of the American Medical Association and was also a medical columnist for The San Diego Tribune.An educator, as well as a practicing physician, Dr. Dalessio was a clinical professor of neurology at the University of California, San Diego; the Musser-Bursh Lecturer at Tulane University in New Orleans; and the Kash Lecturer at the University of Kentucky Medical School. He also served as president of the American Society for the Study of Headache; the National Migraine Foundation; and the Federation of the Western Society of Neurology.Following his graduation from Yale, Dr. Dalessio interned at New York City (Cornell) Medical Center, where he first teamed up with Dr. Harold Wolff. He then became the resident in medicine at the Yale Medical Center. He served for several years as a captain in the United States Army.Dr. Dalessio was pre-deceased by his wife, Jane Schneider Dalessio. He is survived by his children: daughters, Catherine Dalessio, Susan and her family, Rand, Jane and Weston Batterton; son, James and his family Kristen, Jack and Jenifer Dalessio; brother, John Dalessio and his wife Rita of Carmel Valley, CA.A celebration of life to be held at a future time. Please sign the guest book online at legacy.com/obituaries/ lajollalight .