In Memoriam: AAPA President Elect
Paul Robinson, PA-C

PAEA joins the AAPA and all PAs in grieving the loss of Paul S. Robinson, AAPA president elect, who died suddenly on Wednesday, November 12, after a flight home from an AAPA business trip to Orlando, Florida. Mr. Robinson would have assumed the presidency in June 2009, and PAEA leaders were looking forward to working with him and the Academy during his term. President Elect Justine Strand observed: "The PAEA board and the PA education community join the Academy in mourning the death of President Elect Paul Robinson. He has been a strong leader and advocate for the profession for many years, and as incoming president, I was looking forward to working with him during our terms to strengthen the relationship between our two organizations and to further the goals of the profession. He will be missed."

Robinson was an active member of the AAPA for nearly 20 years. He was speaker of the House of Delegates in 2005 and had served as first vice-speaker for three terms preceding this. He served on AAPA’s Professional Practice Council and its Reference, Nominating, and Public Education Committees. He was president of SAAAPA in 1989–90. Robinson was a member of both the Wisconsin and Canadian Academies of PAs and in 2000, he was honored with Wisconsin Academy’s PA of the Year Award, having been its president for two years.

Robinson was employed at St. John’s Hospital–HealthEast Care System, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended the University of Wisconsin (UW)–Stout and in 1981 graduated summa cum laude from UW–Superior with a degree in psychology. He later went on to become a PA at Kettering College in Ohio, graduating with honors in 1990. He completed his emergency track course work towards a master’s degree at Alderson-Broaddus College in 2001. From 1991–1998, Robinson practiced as a PA at the River Falls Medical Clinic, became involved with the ambulance service, and volunteered as a training officer and then medical director.

He enjoyed hockey and was very active as a coach, referee, and referee trainer with the River Falls Youth Hockey Association.

Paul Robinson will be missed by his wife, Dianne; daughter, Amanda; son, Aaron; mother-in-law, Dorothy Hansen, and other relatives and friends. A memorial service was held on Sunday, November 16, 2008, at the United Methodist Church in River Falls. The family requested memorials in lieu of flowers. Their home address is 1191 Meadowbrook Lane, River Falls, Wisconsin 54022.

More information about Paul Robinson is available through obituaries published on November 12 by Bakken and Young and on November 13 in the River Falls Journal.