Paul Leland Shanor, Jr.

Paul Leland Shanor II, a lawyer and entrepreneur who specialized in the regulation of medicine and medical care, died unexpectedly in his sleep two days after routine surgery from which he seemed to be recovering well. Though born in Illinois and therefore technically a Yankee, Paul’s soul and demeanor will be forever linked to Atlanta and the Appalachian Mountains. Paul was devoted to his wife, Jennie, his son, Nathan, his broader family, and his friends, both human and canine. He had a twinkle in his eye, a quick smile, a wicked sense of humor, and a ready willingness to help anyone in need of a steady hand.
Paul was the younger son of Mary Williams Ward Shanor and Leland Shanor. Both parents were trained mycologists, and his father was a professor at the University of Illinois. The family moved from Urbana to Tallahassee, Florida in 1955. Paul attended primary and middle school in Tallahassee, then completed secondary schooling at P.K Yonge High School in Gainesville, Florida. Paul then earned his BA and did masters’ degree work in political science at Emory University in Atlanta before studying law at Emory, where he earned his J.D.
After serving as a coordinator of the Appalachian Human Services Program and as an attorney in the Fraud and Abuse Section of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Paul served from 1978-1983 as Director of the Appalachian Primary Health Unit of the Georgia Division of Public Health, where he greatly expanded primary care centers in rural areas throughout Georgia and oversaw fluoridation of the water systems in North Georgia. From 1983 to 1987, as Administrative Aide for the Georgia State Senate Human Resources Committee, Paul drafted legislation and reports concerning health care and provided oversight to the Georgia Department of Human Resources.
Paul left government employment in 1987 for the Medical Association of Georgia, where he was Executive Director from 1988 until 2001. Under Paul’s leadership, MAG led the nation in physician advocacy legislation and the MAG Foundation grew from a small enterprise to a major medical education entity. Paul made MAG into a national leader among peer institutions.
When Paul left MAG in 2002, he became an attorney and healthcare consultant for numerous clients, including the Georgia Hospital Association, Peach State Health Plan, and Physician’s Pharmaceutical Corporation (PPC). He built an especially close relationship with the last of these, becoming a member of the Board of Directors and helping the company develop an extensive network of dispensaries or pharmacies for physicians. Finally, in addition to his consultancy and PPC work, Paul in 2007 became a co-owner and the Vice President of Administration for Keystone Pharmacy Services, which owns, manages, and provides strategic services to pharmacies, mainly on university campuses.
In his private life, Paul was devoted to his wife of 42 years, Jennie Crouch Shanor, and was the proud father of son Nathan Ward Shanor, who is CFO of a New York based company, Amplicare, which provides software to pharmacies to improve patient health outcomes. Paul cherished his neighbors and friends, many of whom relate stories of how Paul helped them in their careers and provided unqualified love and support to them in times of trial or tragedy. Paul thrived on being a part of his son’s scouting, sporting, and academic activities, and made catching up with his son’s friends a priority whenever he had the chance. In addition to Jennie and Nathan, Paul is survived by his brother Charles and his wife Susan, and numerous cousins, most with last names of Shanor, Crouch, Ward, or Highsmith.
A memorial service is planned for friends and family post-pandemic to celebrate Paul’s life and career. Meanwhile, gifts may be made in his memory to the Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House, for which Paul served as a volunteer and Chairman of the Board for many years, or to the Atlanta Boxer Rescue, as Paul loved his canine family.