Dr. Norman Paul Morin

Norman Paul Morin, M.D. was born the son of Romeo J. Morin, M.D. and Jeannette Jobidon Morin on 7/24/23 in Lewiston, Maine. He grew up in Lewiston, Maine, speaking French as his first language, and skiing on the icy slopes of the area on wooden skis. He graduated from Ottawa University in Ottawa, Canada, and Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine in 1944. Following graduation from college, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he was placed on inactive duty to attend Montreal’s McGill University from 1944 to 1948.

In 1948, just before graduation from medical school, Dr. Morin married his sweetheart and fellow medical school student, Irene Kenny. Following graduation, he took his internship at the Navy Hospital in Long Island, New York. After his internship, he started a residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the New Jersey Medical Center, where his wife, Irene, had started her residency in Pediatrics. Towards the end of his second year of residency, Dr. Morin received orders to the Far East, and was initially stationed at the Navy Yard in Yokosuka, Japan. Irene later joined him there as an officer in the U.S. Army, but a few months later, Dr. Morin was transferred to Otsu, Japan, which is close to the ancient Japanese city of Kyoto. Irene was also able to get a job there as the Pediatrician for the Occupying Army Dependents.

After serving active duty during the Korean campaign as a Lieutenant Senior Grade in Kyoto, Japan, Dr. Morin was selected by Sir Reginald Watson Jones, the Orthopedic Surgeon to the English Royal Family, to do an orthopedic fellowship at the London Hospital. Dr. Morin also studied under renowned orthopedic surgeons Osmond Clark, M.D. and Robert Judet, M.D.

Following their periods of active duty in the military, Dr. Morin and his wife decided to move to Louisiana, for the French language, the Cajun culture, and the warm weather. In 1955, Dr. Morin became a Senior Orthopedic Resident on the Tulane service at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, while Irene became a Senior Resident in Pediatrics. The Morins later moved to Lake Charles to set up their own private practices in orthopedics and pediatrics. Dr. Morin received board certification from the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery had a private practice in Lake Charles from 1955 until his retirement in 1992.

Dr. Morin was Past President of Christus St Patrick's Medical Board, Past President of the Calcasieu Parish Medical Society, and Past President of the Louisiana State Orthopedic Association. Dr. Morin was also active in Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church, where he served as a Member of the Parish Council and Extraordinary Minster for many years. The Norman P. Morin Orthopedic Research Fund has been named in his honor at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas.

Exercise was always important to Dr. Morin. He began running in his 40s, before the running for exercise became commonplace. He participated in, and won, many road races in the area in age division. He skied until he was 80 years old, and biked until he was 70 years old. He only stopped biking after being hit by a truck, an accident that broke several bones on the right side of his body. Dr. Morin also enjoyed mountain climbing, and could be seen most summers climbing the peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park, near Estes Park, Colorado. The stories are legend of the many boyfriends of his daughters who were bested by Dr. Morin on these climbs. Even following his bike accident, Dr. Morin continued to exercise most every day of his life until the age of 90, and was well known by others in the exercise community for his friendly “Bonjour.”

Dr. Morin also enjoyed woodworking, and made many friends among the wood working community in Lake Charles. One of his proudest accomplishments was the building of a 500-pound table from a slab of fallen English white oak that came from his son’s home in Wytheville, Virginia. Legend had it that William Alexander Stuart, brother to Confederate Officer J.E.B. Stuart, originally brought the acorns for the tree from Britain. The table required 8 men to move it into the house.

Dr. Morin is survived by his wife of 68 years, and their five children: Normie Morin Voillequé (Paul), Reinnette Morin Marek (Stan), Norman Paul Morin II (Jennifer), Patrice Morin Spatz, and Lise Morin Cope (Bruce). He is the survived by nine grandchildren: Michelene Morin, Mike Marek, Jacqueline Morin, Caitlin Morin, Ben Marek, Calla Spatz, Dominique Cope, Gabrielle (Gabby) Cope, and Elisabeth Marek, and one great grandchild, Wyatt Rankin. He was preceded in death by two brothers: Rene Joseph Morin (Kay Kazakoff, also deceased) of Seattle, WA. and Gilles R. Morin, M.D., of Lake Charles. Surviving is sister-in-law Jean Chambers Morin of Houston, TX, and nieces and nephews: Kris Morin Welchman (Phil) of Kirkland, WA; Jeanie Morin Iida (Russ) Bothell, WA; Mike Morin (Mandy) of Dallas, TX; Ann Morin and Terri Morin Huguenin of Hagerstown, MD; Robert Morin, M.D. (Vicki) of Boca Raton, FL; Kathy Morin (Chip Block) of Houston, TX; Michael Morin, M.D. (Kathleen) of Metarie, LA; Tom Morin of Greenbrae, CA; Greg Morin (Patty) of Palatine, IL; Jeannette Morin Bjoernsen (Erik) of San Carlos, CA; Gilles Morin (Carla) of Baton Rouge, LA.

A memorial mass will be conducted at 10AM Monday, March 21, 2016 at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Lake Charles, LA with Father Jace Eskind officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Norman P. Morin Fund for Orthopedic Research, Memorial Hermann Foundation, 929 Gessner, Suite 2610, Houston, TX 77024, or the Memory Disorders and Dementia Clinic, Dr. Paul Schulz, Director, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Road, Room 4358, Houston, TX 77054.