JANUARY 30, 2018 -- It is with great sadness that the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery shares the news that past resident Dr. Paul Choi passed away on Friday, January 26, 2018.
Many members of the Department had the pleasure of working with Paul during his residency training from 2000 to 2005. He was a beloved colleague and friend to many.
Paul Daniel Choi, 47, of Los Angeles, died on Friday, January 26, 2018. He was the firstborn son of Daniel and Catherine Choi. His parents immigrated to Chicago from South Korea in 1969 and were blessed with Paul's birth on December 9, 1970. His younger brother Peter was born nine years later. Paul’s father worked diligently as a real estate agent and Paul’s mother as a nurse to provide a private education for Paul’s elementary and high school years. He graduated from Loyola Academy High School in Illinois in 1988 where he actively participated in multiple athletics (track and wrestling) and received a number of academic accolades.
Paul moved to California in 1988 to attend Stanford University. He graduated from Stanford in 1992 with a degree in Biology, followed by medical school at Washington University of St. Louis. He returned to California for his residency at the University of California San Francisco, then moved to Los Angeles in 2005 for his fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He was on staff at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as an orthopedic surgeon for a decade and was their Director of Hip Preservation. He started employment at Shriners for Children Medical Center in April 2017 and quickly became one of the most beloved members of the staff. He was also an Air Force veteran, and he took great pride in his service to our country. He loved taking care of children and teaching residents and fellows.
Paul met Emily Haynes in November 2010 in Las Vegas, and they married in November 2012 at Stanford Memorial Church. Their son Daniel was born in 2015. Paul was diagnosed with lymphoma in October 2016, and passed away on January 26, 2018.
Paul is survived by his wife, Emily; his son, Daniel; his soon-to-be-born daughter; his younger brother, Peter; and his mother, Catherine Choi.
Paul’s graveside service will be held Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 11 a.m. (Central Time) at the All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to an education fund for Paul Choi's children to help defray the costs of school and college in the future.
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