In Memory: Paul F. Jaques, MD June 16, 1940 - Dec 16, 2015
At UNC Department of Radiology: 1976 – 2002
by Charles Burke, MD, Division Chief, Interventional Radiology
“It’s hard to know where to begin to describe his importance in my education … Paul Jaques taught me so many valuable lessons. The value of creativity and problem-solving when faced with challenging procedures was probably the one most important thing he taught me about successfully practicing [Vascular] Interventional Radiology.”
Dr. Charles Burke trained under Jaques in the early 2000s as a Department Diagnostic Radiology resident and Vascular-Interventional
Radiology (VIR) fellow. As seen in his words, Burke’s mentor and Division Chief was a master at adapting to available tools and overcoming obstacles during procedures. Now both the Department’s VIR Division Chief and Director of Interventional Services, Burke credits Jaques for a fearlessness in trying new approaches, many of which have influenced VIR practice and instruction in the Department over decades.
The Department of Radiology joins Jaques' family and community in mourning his December 2015 passing after a long illness. A medical school graduate of the University of London and Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1971, Jaques began practicing in London and headed to the U.S. in 1975 for a sabbatical in the Department. Meant only to be 18 months, the sabbatical became a permanent relocation when Jaques was asked to stay and establish North Carolina Memorial Hospital’s Interventional Radiology program. Department Chair Dr. Matt Mauro came to UNC in the late 1970s, training as a Diagnostic Radiology resident and as a VIR fellow. As Mauro remembers Jaques: “He was
innovative and demanding. Dr. Jaques was totally dedicated to the growth of this new subspecialty at UNC. In the era of more liberal practice guidelines, Paul would create new techniques and tools
on the fly to best treat the patient’s problem.”
A life-honoring, online page created by Jaques' family notes: “Paul was known for his celebratory character and willingness to step in whenever help was needed. He was truly the life of every party and loved his family and friends as much as he loved life itself. Paul loved a good
round of golf and had a passion for sailing and later, for flying. A true Brit through and through, he remained loyal to the Queen of England all his life as a British citizen.
The website: https://www.med.unc.edu/radiology/Dept-info/department-news/images-newsletters/images-newsletter-spring-summer-2016
The family is grateful to Dr. Charles Burke for this moving post.
This in memoriam is posted with respect and love, Be'