In Memoriam: Patrick Walsh, MD, FACMS

Remembrance by Stanley Miller, MD, FACMS

Patrick Walsh, a Mohs surgeon who trained with Ramsey Mellette, passed away Friday, May 1, 2015, at the age of 61. Pat was born Jan. 28, 1954 as one of eight children. He graduated from Rice University with a BA in biology and psychology; from the University of Texas at Austin with a MA in microbiology; and from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston with a medical degree. Pat then completed a residency in Dermatology, a fellowship in Immunodermatology, and a fellowship in Mohs surgery (with Ramsey) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Pat remained on the faculty at the University of Colorado School Of Medicine until December 2001, achieving the academic rank of Associate Professor with dual appointments in the departments of Dermatology and Internal Medicine/Division of Medical Oncology. Pat then returned to Texas, where he was in private practice in Fort Worth from January 2002 until his passing. He was a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.

As a friend of Pat’s I must add a few important, human details. First of all, Pat was a real character. He looked, talked, and swore like a truck driver, but he had a degree in immunology and was one of the few Mohs surgeons (especially in those days) to have an NIH RO1 grant. Pat helped to develop a mouse model of immunotherapy for melanoma, a vaccine, about 15 years ago at the University of Colorado that eventually went on into human testing. Pat spoke to our Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology Group at Johns Hopkins as a guest lecturer.

Usually once per Mohs meeting, I would go with Pat to a dive bar or honkytonk to drink beer and smoke cigars. My favorite memories of him were how he would transform when you asked him an immunology question. All of a sudden, in the midst of beer and rock and roll music, he would begin explaining things to me using multisyllabic words that I could barely understand!

Pat loved to golf, fish and hunt, and he absolutely loved his daughter, Jessica. He was honorable, thoughtful, kind, and generous, and dedicated to his patients and his profession. He will be sorely missed.