Michael J. Quigley, CPO, retired practitioner and instructor, died on March 10 at 67 years old. Quigley was past president of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists and member of a medical assessment team under the United States Agency for International Development. He also sat on the editorial board of the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, to which he was a frequent contributor.
“Mike Quigley was remarkable for his professionalism and expertise with patients and for his ability to establish relationships with physicians, allied health professionals and the world community,” Dulcey Lima, CO, OTR/L, a retired practitioner who began her career working with Quigley, told O&P News.
Quigley first entered the O&P field because his aunt told him there were not enough practitioners to care for the soldiers coming home from the war in Vietnam.
“My brother Lawrence and I followed in our older brother’s footsteps and are still practicing in the field. We owe a huge debt to Michael for introducing us to a career that enriched our lives in so many ways,” John P. Quigley, LCO, regional director for the Midwest branch of Hanger Clinics, said.
Quigley helped establish O&P program at Northwestern University and served as an instructor and later an adjunct professor for many years.
“He never lost sight of the importance of spreading the word about the profession through patient education, community in service trainings and seminars,” Lima said. “Mike taught by example, and once the lessons were learned, he celebrated, and gave his protégés independence and the space to excel in their own right.”
Quigley assisted in Brazil aboard the hospital ship S.S Hope as orthotics director and from there went on more than 70 missions in more than 25 countries.
“He brought his knowledge along with an incredible sense of humor that helped put very stressful situations at ease. In turn volunteers loved what they were doing and would return to help the disabled again and again,” John Quigley said. “Mike will be missed greatly by many in the field and by his family; he sure was a one of a kind. He accomplished a lot in the short time he was here.” – by Monica Jaramillo
