Francis Albert Puyau

Dr. Francis Albert Puyau, physician-educator, died at the age of 82 on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011, at his home in Baton Rouge. Services will be Wednesday, Oct. 12, with visitation beginning at 9 a.m. until funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church in Baton Rouge. Frank, a native of New Orleans, graduated from Holy Cross High school and the University of Notre Dame. In 1952, he received his doctor of medicine from LSU School of Medicine. While in medical school, Frank married his childhood sweetheart, Gerri diBenedetto. After an internship at Charity Hospital, Frank joined the Public Health Service and provided medical care at the San Xavier Indian Reservation in Tucson, Ariz. Once completing his service in public health, Frank returned to New Orleans and completed a residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric cardiology. In 1961, he moved to Nashville, Tenn., and joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University. It was here that Frank engaged in numerous research projects, including a study on sodium levels in infants and children. Because of this research, Frank was instrumental in getting the amount of sodium decreased in commercial baby food. His growing interest in interventional radiology led his return to the Crescent City in 1968 to complete a fellowship in diagnostic radiology at Charity Hospital. He continued at Charity from 1970 to 1985 as medical director of the cardiac catheterization lab. From 1971 to 1972, Frank was interim chairman of the Department of Radiology at LSU followed by chairman of the department until 1974. In 1974, he joined the faculty of Tulane University School of Medicine and was a professor in radiology, pediatric and cardiology and co-chairman of the Department of Radiology. Immediately after joining Tulane, He served as the interim chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. Also during this time, he was medical director of the Radiology Department at Children's Hospital of New Orleans. In 1986 while staying on staff at Tulane Medical Center, he moved to Baton Rouge and joined the staff at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center as a radiologist until semi-retirement in 1995. He continued on staff at Tulane until his full retirement in 1997. Throughout his medical career, Frank continued his research, being published in numerous medical journals. Frank was well-recognized by local and national medical communities. He was a fellow in both the American College of Cardiology and Radiology. He held board certifications in pediatrics, cardiology and radiology. Frank was a former president of the New Orleans Radiology Society and member of the New Orleans Pediatric Society, East Baton Rouge Medical Society, Southern Society of Pediatric Research, Louisiana Radiology Society, Radiology Society of North America, Alpha Omega Alpha, American Roentgen Ray Society and Association of University Radiologists. Outside of medicine, Frank was an avid and talented sailor. He shared his love of sailing and water sports with his family and friends over the years. He was member of the Southern Yacht Club and loved to take extensive sailing trips along the Gulf Coast. Frank adored being with extended family and continued his thirst of knowledge long after retirement. Frank is survived by his wife, Gerri; sons, Michael and wife Susan, and Stephen and wife Lynda; daughters, Jeanne Marie "Sally," Julie and husband Doug Nagle, and Melissa "Lisa" and husband Will Manuel. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center/Children's Hospital in Baton Rouge or the Mississippi Children's Heart Fund at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi.