Dr. Manuel Patricio Antón

Manuel P. Antón, M.D., age 88, beloved husband, “Papi”, and “Bo”, of Atlanta, died on February 14, 2020. He was born in Cuba where he graduated from Belen Jesuit Prep School in Havana and the University of Havana Medical School. He completed his Ophthalmology training under the teaching of his father, the leading ophthalmologist in Cuba, trained in Paris and London. Upon his graduation, he took over his father’s practice in Havana. He completed a second residency in Psychiatry at Emory University Medical School, and received training in Community Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

To escape the political situation, he fled Cuba in 1961 with his wife and his one year old son. After one year in Miami, he passed the Foreign Medical Examination. He moved to Georgia to work at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, where he was subsequently offered a Medical Residency in Psychiatry at Emory University. Upon completing his residency, he became Unit I Director at Central State Hospital. He then was offered the direction of Mental Health Programs for DeKalb County in Atlanta. He retired as Deputy Director of Fulton County Mental Health Programs. After retirement he went back to the State System and worked at the Atlanta Regional Hospital, where he became Chief of Staff. He completely retired when he became ill.

Dr. Antón was a fervent, practicing Catholic, throughout his life. He met his wife, Blanca, on his first day as a university student and after three years as friends and a five-year courtship, they were happily married for 61 years. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, physician, and friend; he was very loved by all of his family and friends. He was a talented oil painter and was a skilled basket weaver of twisted pair copper telephone wire, and once exhibited his baskets in the Tiffany & Co. windows of Phipps Plaza.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Manuel Antón, M.D. and Angela S. Antón. He is survived by his wife, Blanca R. Antón, M.D.; one son, Manuel P. Antón III, M.D. (Annette Lefebre); one daughter, Ana I. Antón, Ph.D. (Peter Swire); grandchildren, Maritere Antón, M.D. (Jose L. Vilaró, M.D.), Manuel P. Antón IV, M.D., Roberto X. Antón, Ana Maria Antón; great grandchildren, Ana Sofía Vilaró, Juan Pablo Vilaró, David E. Vilaró; and beloved nieces, Hilda Uribe, Lolly Moore (Clay), and Patricia Gómez (Héctor).

The visitation and rosary will be Thursday 2/20/2020 (5:30 - 8:00 PM) at AS Turner & Sons 2773 N. Decatur Road, Decatur, GA. The Funeral Mass will be Friday, 2/21/2020 (10:00 AM) at the Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA. Monsignor Richard J. Lopez will officiate at both the rosary and the Mass.

The family thanks his doctors, including Dr. Stephen Clements, Dr. Lynn Schlanger, Dr. Gary Myerson, Dr. Jonathan Kauffman, and Dr. William Jordan for their loving care and expertise. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a donation made in Dr. Antón’s honor to the Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center at 6700 Riverside Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30328.