Marblehead.

Dr. Sidney Paly, a much respected and beloved physician, died peacefully on September 23rd after a brief illness. Dr. Paly devoted his life to his family, his patients, and the medical community he was part of for nearly 50 years. He was 81 years old and lived in Marblehead with Beth, his wife of 56 years.

Sidney Paly was born on April 21, 1926 in Brooklyn NY, the son of Russian and Polish immigrants George and Fannie Paly. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School for Science in 1943 and spent the war years in the Army Specialized Training Program, where he was trained in engineering at Ohio State and Syracuse Universities. Following the war he attended Clark University, graduating in 1948. He went on to the Yale University School of Medicine for his medical training and neurosurgical residency. He also completed neurosurgical fellowships in Sweden and in London.

Sid and Beth Paly moved to the North Shore in 1959 when Dr. Paly joined the North Shore Medical Center as one of Salem Hospital's first two neurosurgeons. He served as Chief of Neurosurgery from 1966 until 1989. He continued to practice at Salem and Beverly Hospitals until his retirement in 2006 at the age of 80. That year he was honored by the Essex South District of the Massachusetts Medical Society as a Community Clinician of the Year. He also was a recipient of the Dr. E. Augustus Holyoke Memorial Award in 2002, which recognizes professional excellence and service to the community. Upon Dr. Paly's retirement, Dr. Riad Riskalla, then president of the NSMC medical staff, said "Dr. Paly's devotion and enthusiasm for his patients and the medical field are unparalleled. He is an inspiration to many and will be greatly missed."

Besides his medical career, Dr. Paly was a voracious reader and avid historian. His love of ideas, discourse and good jokes was a source of great pleasure for his family, friends and colleagues. Dr. Paly served as president of Cohen-Hillel Academy from 1972-1973.

In addition to his wife, Dr. Paly is survived by his children Dr William Paly and his wife Amy Judd of Marblehead, Dr David Paly and his wife Marita of Gig Harbor, Washington, Melissa Paly and her husband David Batchelder of Kittery Point, Maine, and Karen Paly of Salem. He also leaves seven grandchildren: Jonathan and Benjamin Paly; Daniel and James Paly; and Jessie, Jeremy and Ellie Paly Batchelder.

A memorial for Dr. Paly will be held at noon on Sunday, October 14 in the Salem Hospital Davenport Building first floor conference room. The public is invited to join in celebrating and remembering the life of Dr. Paly. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Partners In Health, a charitable organization whose mission is to bring health care to those in resource poor settings around the world. Their address is 641 Huntington Ave, 1st Floor; Boston, MA 02115 or www.pih.org