Paul Joseph Simel ’51

Paul Joseph Simel ’51, an eminent ophthalmologist who shared his medical and surgical skills with healthcare providers and their patients in developing countries in Asia and South America, died on August 23, 2013, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Paul’s interests spanned the practice of medicine, music, competitive sports, civil rights and human relations. Many of these interests were apparent during his years at Dartmouth, where he was a member of the tennis and squash teams; played clarinet and saxophone in the symphony, Barbary Coast orchestra and Marching Band; and majored in sociology and pre-medicine. He was a member of Pi Lambda Phi. Paul received his medical degree from Boston University Medical School and was chief resident in ophthalmology at Yale. He served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1961 before opening his practice in Greensboro. Despite his busy practice he made time to volunteer with Orbis, a not-for-profit organization working in Third World countries to prevent and treat blindness. In retirement Paul was an active tennis player, once ranked second in his age group in the southern section of the U.S. Tennis Association. He was senior champion of his golf club and regularly played fiercely contested matches with his ’51 classmates Jim Culberson and Jack Sutton. Paul flew his own airplane and was an avid boater and fisherman. Family was Paul’s greatest pride and joy. He delighted in the activities and accomplishments of his wife, Faye, three children, one stepchild and six grandchildren. Among his descendants and their spouses are four medical doctors.