Joaquin Ramon Ybanez

Ybáñez, Dr. Joaquín Ramón, 75, of St. Petersburg, passed into Eternal Life on Friday, March 20, 2009. The son and grandson of immigrants from Spain, he was born in Ybor City, and moved to St. Petersburg with his parents in 1936. He graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1951 where he served as the editor of El Buen Vecino, the school's Spanish language newspaper. He was a 1955 alumnus of Emory University, Atlanta, GA and was a surgical technician at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta and St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg. Locally he was mentored by the world-renowned surgeon, Dr. Irwin Leinbach, who recognized his God-given talents and encouraged him to pursue surgical studies in the growing field of podiatric medicine. In 1964, he graduated as a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from the Illinois College of Podiatry where he was in the Phi Alpha Pi Honor Society. From 1965 to 1995, he practiced podiatry in Tampa and St. Petersburg where he served on the staffs of Tampa Osteopathic Hospital, St. Petersburg Osteopathic Hospital, Edward White Hospital, Northside Hospital, St. Petersburg General Hospital, and Bayfront Medical Center. During the 1970's he served as Chief of Podiatry at St. Petersburg Osteopathic Hospital and traveled to Spain to lecture on podiatric surgery at the University of Madrid. In 1975 he was the first Hispanic appointed to the Florida State Board of Podiatry Examiners by then Florida Governor Reubin O'D. Askew, and was later elected by his fellow board members to serve it's President from 1977-80. During his time on the Florida State Board of Podiatry Examiners he made it possible for the podiatry board exam to be offered in Spanish for the many Hispanic podiatrists that sought refuge in the US from Cuba. He was a past member of the Pinellas County Podiatry Association, Florida Podiatry Association, American Podiatry Association, St. Petersburg Rotary Club, St. Petersburg Racquet Club, St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and Centro Asturiano of Ybor City. He had a hobby as an avid amateur ham radio operator with call sign KA4ZSC, and he enjoyed frequent travel to his mother's birthplace of Spain. He was a Roman Catholic and member of St. Paul's Catholic Church. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Margaret, daughter Vivian Vivi Ybáñez, and numerous cousins in both the US and Spain. A viewing will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 from 4pm to 7pm with a Rosary at 6:30pm. A funeral Mass will be offered for the repose of his soul on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 10am at St. Paul Catholic Church, 1800 12th Street North, St. Petersburg. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his memory be made to Mary's Outreach For Women, 4144 Central Ave, Suite A, St. Petersburg, FL 33711, or to Bon Secours Pastoral Care, 10300-4th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33716