Dr. Joaquin Guillermo Arciniegas was born on July 19, 1948 in Ibagué, Colombia to Nicolas and Lucia Alvarez Arciniegas. Following in his father’s footsteps, he studied medicine at the Xaverian Pontifical University in Bogotá, where he met his lifelong partner, Beatriz, whom he married in 1974. Together, they relocated first to Detroit, Michigan for Dr. Arciniegas’s cardiovascular training at the Henry Ford Clinic, and later, Birmingham, Alabama to continue his medical career in private practice.
Known widely and affectionately by several nicknames (Dr. A, Dr. Arci, “Coco”), he was a devoted physician, husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend who touched the lives of countless people, particularly as a colleague and mentor. Additionally, Dr. Arciniegas was a lifelong learner whose hobbies included reading about the humanities, traveling, fishing, music, and watching his favorite soccer teams on television. He frequently used humor to lift the spirits of family and friends and spent his last year especially enjoying quality time with his spouse, children,and grandchildren. He will be fondly remembered for his sharp intellect, uproarious sense of humor, generosity to others, and the profound impact he left in the medical community.
Dr. Arciniegas is survived by his wife, Beatriz Eugenia Arciniegas; their daughter, Ann Marie Arciniegas Bernal and her husband, Dr. Juan Mario Bernal; sons, Daniel Eduardo, Andres Augustus, and Nicholas; and grandchildren, Joaquin Alberto, Mia Juliana, Mario Santiago, and Madeline Azucena; his siblings Dr. Eduardo Arciniegas, Lucia DeVivero, Sor Julia Arciniegas.
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