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Jack Edward Battalia ’43

Jack Edward Battalia ’43, January 29, 2014, in Portland. A Portland native Jack earned a BA in biology from Reed and entered the University of Oregon Medical School (Oregon Health and Science University), leaving in 1943 to do service in the U.S. Army Air Force in Virginia. Following the war, he completed surgical residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland and at the medical school. Jack was proud of the quality and context of his professional life. He practiced general surgery at Good Samaritan from 1954 to 1986, and he was active in the Oregon Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the Multnomah County Medical Society, and the Portland Surgical Society. He served as medical director for Montgomery Ward and as a medical consultant for a number of insurance companies, including Safeco and Liberty Northwest, and for several Portland attorneys. He also was company physician to numerous Portland businesses. Jack volunteered as a medical adviser for the Portland Boxing Commission for 29 years and spent a number of years as a member of the Oregon Boxing and Wrestling Commission. He chaired the International Boxing Federation and U.S. Boxing Association medical committee for 12 years. His priority, he said, was “don’t let them get hurt.” Jack enjoyed fishing and hunting accompanied by a trusty canine companion, as well as woodworking and gardening. He was a longtime member of Rotary. Survivors include a daughter and three sons, born to Jack and his first wife, Doris Risley, who died in 1982; two stepsons, shared with his second wife, Cora, who died in 2004; five grandchildren; and his companion Gladys Kinzel. Jack suffered from the affects of Alzheimer’s disease for many years.

Appeared in Reed magazine: June 2014

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