Charles Warren Breaux

BIRMINGHAM - Dr. Charles Warren Breaux died peacefully on December 25, 2013 in Birmingham, Alabama. The sixth of eight children, Charles was born in Gueydan, on July 1931, to parents Annie and Valentin Breaux. He graduated with honors from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and began his career as a chemical engineer at Humble Oil and Refining in Baton Rouge. While working there, he met Ann Kemp, a chemist at Ethyl Corporation. At the end of their first date, he told her that he was going to marry her. She told him he was out of his mind. Sure enough though, they married in 1955. After spending almost a year in a tuberculosis sanitarium, Charles decided he wanted to become a physician. Ann continued to work as a chemist in Baton Rouge, caring for their young son and putting Charles through LSU Medical School in New Orleans. Though older than most medical students in his class, he excelled in his studies and received the Outstanding Senior Award upon graduation. With the assistance of the US Coast Guard and Public Health Service, he completed his surgical residency at the US Public Health Service Hospital in New Orleans, rising from intern to Chief of Surgical Service. While there, he also served as a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at Tulane and cared for patients at the Carville Leprosarium.
Continuing his commitment to public healthcare, Dr. Breaux moved to Birmingham in 1972 along with his family, to help open Mercy, later Cooper Green, Hospital. There he served as Chief of Surgery, Chief of Staff, and President of the Jefferson Clinic P.C., recruiting many outstanding doctors to the hospital, and seeking to improve the quality of indigent healthcare throughout Alabama. He trained many UAB surgical residents over the years and served as a Clinical Professor at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He also pioneered bariatric surgery as a treatment for morbid obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea, conditions endemic to many of the indigent patients in Birmingham. Dr. Breaux has won many awards and recognitions throughout his professional career, including the US Coast Guard Letter of Commendation, US Public Health Service Commendation Medal, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, President of the Birmingham Academy of Medicine, founding member of the American Society of Bariatric Surgery, and a member of the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.
Charles and Ann delighted in symphonies, operas, and other arts in New Orleans and Birmingham, along with big band music and dancing. In his later years, he also enjoyed his membership at Mountain Brook Baptist Church, after having earlier attended St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
Charles was preceded in death by Ann, his beloved wife of 56 years, parents Annie and Valentin Desiré, sister Yvonne, and brothers Stanley and Robert. He is survived by sons Charles Jr., Stan, and Chris; daughter Ann-Marie; granddaughter Laura; grandsons Paul, Sean, Steven, Christian, Christopher, and Nicholas; brother Val; sisters Helena and Carmen; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews. Charles will not only be missed by his family, but by many health professionals and friends from all walks of life, who came to know him during his 82 years.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, the Lakeshore Foundation, or Mountain Brook Baptist Church.
Visitation were Sunday, January 5, 3-7 p.m. at Ridout’s Valley Chapel, 1800 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL 35209; followed by a memorial service in celebration of his life on Monday, January 6, at 11 a.m., in the Main Sanctuary of Mountain Brook Baptist Church, 3631 Montevallo Road, Birmingham, AL 35213.