John King, MD
1934 - 2018
Dr. John King, a member of POSNA since 1985, passed away on November 5, 2018. He was born in Chicago in 1934, grew up in Evanston, and received his bachelors and medical degrees from Northwestern University. After serving in the Air Force in Europe and as a general surgery resident at Baylor University, he completed an orthopaedic residency at USC/Los Angeles County General Hospital. Fellowships in hand surgery with Dr. Joseph Boyes, in pediatric orthopaedics at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and in spine surgery with Dr. John Hall in Toronto followed. He traveled throughout the country sponsored by a North American Scoliosis Research Society fellowship, visiting spine centers before his return to Los Angeles to begin private practice in pediatric orthopaedics and to attend pediatric orthopaedic clinics at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles in 1971.
Dr. King enjoyed everything he did, whether he was performing complex surgical procedures or hanging out of a helicopter counting missiles on Russian ships during the Cuban missile crisis. His interests ranged from photography and travel to physical fitness and automotive trends. Most of all, he loved practicing pediatric orthopaedics, and particularly treatment of scoliosis. Upon his return to Los Angeles Dr. King initiated a citywide scoliosis school screening program which is still in effect today. He brought new techniques in scoliosis surgery to CHLA and started a multidisciplinary spina bifida clinic which he attended for over 40 years. He consistently strove to provide the best possible care for all of his patients and he imparted this ethos to countless orthopaedic residents and medical students whom he taught. He read voraciously to keep abreast of medical knowledge and authored many papers and presentations, lectured at national, regional and local meetings, and held an appointment as Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. His long time memberships in other professional societies included the Scoliosis Research Society, North American Spine Society, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Above all of his medical and nonmedical interests, Dr. King was devoted to his family. He is survived by his wife Karen, his daughters Kathleen and Kristina, his son John and wife Jeanette, his son Thomas, and his two grandchildren.
