Tanash H. Atoynatan M.D.

TANASH H. ATOYNATAN, M.D. formerly of Glastonbury, CT. and resident of Naples, Florida, died peacefully after a short illness at St. Mary's Nursing Home, in West Hartford, on December 17, 2007. He leaves his wife of 40 years Dorothy Papoutsis Atoynatan. Born in Istanbul, Turkey on August 23, 1920 to Haralambos and Agathonike Atoynatan, he attended the Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University graduating 1944. He came to the United States and did his residency in psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 1950-1954, his neurology residency at Louisville University Hospital, Louisville, KY 1954-1955, and his Fellowship in Child Psychiatry at University Hospital, Baltimore, MD 1955-1957. For 33 years from 1959 until his retirement in 1992 he was the Child Psychiatrist and Executive Director of the Community Child Guidance Clinic in Manchester. His career was devoted to developing community based programs and was the founder of the Community Child Guidance Clinic School which was established in 1974 and this year celebrates its 34th year of sustaining children in the community. A strong proponent of "Community Psychiatry" he devoted his career to teaching, to developing new programs, to promoting excellence in the field of children's mental health; always putting the lives of those less fortunate as his priority. For years the Child Guidance Clinic was known by young children as "Dr. Tony's office". He was made a Life Fellow in psychiatry in 1970 and in Orthopsychiatry in 1975. He loved his work at the Child Guidance Clinic. Though he retired from the Child Guidance Clinic in 1992, he never truly retired from practicing psychiatry. He loved his patients and his profession. His interests also extended beyond psychiatry. He was a passionate tournament bridge player with his wife Dorothy, being a Life Gold Master in bridge. He excelled in billiards, backgammon, chess, golf and tennis throughout his life. A voracious reader, he was always reading the novels of each year's Noble Laureates in literature. He would follow national and international politics as well as Wall Street with a rational curiosity. And, lastly he loved to travel with his beloved wife Dorothy. Their favorite places to visit were Jamaica, Greece, and Florida. Known to his patients as Dr. Tony, his spirit will be missed, his love will be missed, and his example of honesty will be missed. In leaving his wife Dorothy, he also leaves her children Carolyne Geller of Seattle, WA, Evonne Fell of Memphis, TN, and Dean Mesologites, M.D. of West Hartford, CT, 6 grandchildren. and 9 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Community Child Guidance Center, 317 North Main Street, Manchester, CT. 06040 or St. Mary's Home, 2021 Albany Avenue, West Hartford, CT. 06117. Service will be held at St. George's Cathedral 433 Fairfield Ave., Hartford at 10:00 am. on Wednesday, December 19th with interment to follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Molloy Funeral Home has care of the arrangements.