Dr. William Lloyd Pogue (“Bill”) died on Monday, Nov. 13, four days short of his 91st birthday.
Bill was born in Wellesley Hills, Mass. in 1932, attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington D.C., and Williams College. In 1955 he graduated from George Washington Medical School, and did a four year residency in Radiology at U.C.L.A. Medical Center, where he became co-chief of residents.
From there Bill went to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California where he introduced arteriography. After nine months Bill was drafted during the Vietnam War and became Chief of Resident Training at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego for two years.
In 1967 Bill moved to the Grossmont District Hospital (now Sharp Grossmont), where he introduced catheter arteriography and other new techniques. He was instrumental in obtaining the first CT scanner south of Los Angeles and west of Phoenix. Bill retired in 2000, went to clown college, and returned to Grossmont as a hospital clown, Pokonose el Payaso. He clowned at the hospital, in parades and for foster child events. Bill was one of two 1987 charter members of the La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club and served as a Rotary mentor to the Helix High School Interact Club for over 15 years. He mentored numerous youth including homeless youth, youth impacted by the foster system, and young men without fathers. He mentored many men in A.A., and in the churches he attended. He was a docent at both the San Diego Maritime Museum and the Mission Trails Regional Park.
Bill is survived by his wife Gwen, daughters Kirsten Pogue-Cely (Luis Cely) and Blair Pogue (Dwight Zscheile), and grandchildren Diego and Jade Cely, and Luke Zscheile.
A celebration of his life will take place at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church located at 4816 Glen Street in La Mesa on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m., followed by lunch and a time of music and storytelling. In memory of Bill’s outstanding hat collection, you are encouraged to wear your favorite hat.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to Doors of Change (doorsofchange.org) an organization helping homeless youth in San Diego and Boys to Men (boystomen.org) an organization which mentors and empowers fatherless teenage boys in San Diego.
