Dr. Michael James Painter

Michael James Painter, M.D., age 79, formerly of Wexford, Pennsylvania, passed away on October 17, 2019 in St. Augustine, Florida. Dr. Painter was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 30, 1939 to the late James Painter and Elizabeth Melvin Painter. He and his older sister grew up surrounded by a large extended family in Dearborn, Michigan, where he graduated from Dearborn High School. He received his B.S. in Biology from Georgetown University in 1961 and his M.D. degree from the University of Michigan in 1965. Dr. Painter completed his internship and residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Following a two-year stint as a captain in the United States Air Force in Savannah, Georgia, he was a pediatric neurology visiting fellow at Columbia University in New York. He then returned to Pittsburgh as a faculty member and was chief of the Division of Child Neurology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh from 1978 through 2002. He remained on staff at both Children’s Hospital and Magee Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and was a professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh until he retired to St. Augustine, Florida, in 2013. After moving, he served as a Child Neurology consultant at the University of Florida in Jacksonville. Dr. Painter was a tireless advocate for child neurologists and the children and families they serve, devoting his career to the development of the sub-specialty of child neurology. He played a pivotal role in the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, both as an examiner and as a developer of the new examination for certification in neurodevelopmental disabilities. He had a true passion for teaching and trained and mentored dozens of pediatric interns and residents. He authored countless medical publications and served as president of both the Child Neurology Society and Child Neurology Foundation. In 2006, his peers awarded him with the prestigious Child Neurology Society Hower Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions as a teacher and scholar to the field of child neurology. His other awards included: Who’s Who in the East, Best Doctors in America (Neonatal Neurology) and Best Doctors in America (Pittsburgh Magazine). In his spare time, Dr. Painter was a voracious reader and loved watching college and professional football, especially while rooting for his two favorite teams – University of Michigan and the Steelers. He also enjoyed gardening, woodworking, and fly fishing trips with his cousin and good friend, Bernard Willis. His family and friends will remember him for his truly unique personality, intelligence, quick wit, generosity and vast historical knowledge. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Judith Kareis Painter of St. Augustine, Florida; son William (Eileen) Painter of Montclair, New Jersey; daughter Elizabeth (Keith) Anderson of Inverness, Illinois; son Michael (Liz) Painter of Marion, South Carolina; step-daughter Kara (Chris) Cupoli of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; sister Mary (Edmund) Baumgartner of Belmont, Massachusetts; 12 grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Dr. Painter will be honored with a reception on November 22 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the John G. Rangos Sr. Research Center located at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh. His family will be holding a private memorial service in Dearborn, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Dr. Painter's name to the Michael J. Painter, MD, Award for Excellence in Child Neurology. Checks can be made to: UPP Division of Child Neurology and mailed to: Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC Division of Child Neurology c/o Holly Schaupp 4401 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Dr. Michael James Painter

November 30, 1939 - October 17, 2019