Brevard - Roy Penchansky, took his last cruise with his loving wife, Elizabeth W. Bates, disembarking from this world on October 23 in Malta.

Roy was born in Bayonne, NJ, on Sept. 24, 1934, to Samuel and Florence (Bass) Penchansky. His father, a butcher, owned a wholesale kosher meat distribution firm which he operated with two brothers. His mother, a homemaker, volunteered on behalf of the American Jewish Congress for many years.

Roy was Jewish, had a Bar Mitzvah, and passed that tradition onto his sons, although he was not observant in his later years. As a boy, Roy and his father were active in Boy Scouts at which time Roy developed leadership skills and an early interest in cooking which he pursued throughout his life. He spent summers at a family cottage on Lake Hopatcong where he acquired a lifelong interest in boating. He had a small outboard-driven hydroplane that he raced on Hopatcong and Newark Bay off Bayonne. A graduate of Bayonne High School, Roy's college career began at Tulane University but took a sharp turn after a year when he returned to Bayonne and entered St. Peter's College in neighboring Jersey City. He graduated from St. Peter's in 1956 with a B.A. and completed graduate work in industrial and labor relations at Cornell University, receiving an M.I.L.R. degree in 1958. He then attended Harvard University, where he earned a doctorate from the School of Business Administration in 1962. He was assistant professor of administration in medical care at Harvard from 1963 until joining the University of Michigan faculty in 1966 as associate professor of medical care organization in the School of Public Health. He was promoted to professor in 1972 and was named University of Michigan professor emeritus of health management and policy after retiring in 1997 While at U of M, Professor Penchansky was an innovator in healthcare education for community leaders and healthcare professionals throughout the U.S. He worked with the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity to educate leaders in minority populations in the management of community health centers. In the 1970s, he developed and instituted the nation's first executive master's degree program in healthcare administration in the Department of Medical Care Organization. This program has served as the model for executive programs both in the School of Public Health and other departments and has been emulated by numerous universities across the country. Professor Penchansky was a pioneer in research on health maintenance organizations. His work with colleagues in the 1970s remains some of the most important research on HMO enrollment choice. He also authored a number of papers and research monographs, most notably "The concept of access: definition and relationship to consumer satisfaction" written with John William Thomas. Published in 1981, the work continues to be widely cited and is known as the Penchansky and Thomas Theory on Health Care Access. Roy retired to Oriental, NC, in 1996 so he could keep his sailboat, Academic Freedom, in the water year-round. There he continued his interest in rural health care access, providing his expertise to the founding of Hope Clinic in Pamlico County, NC. He and Liz were also key to starting the Pamlico Musical Society in 1997. This small presenting organization continues to offer concerts each year by professional artists from a variety of musical genres. After a decade in Oriental, he moved to Brevard, NC, where he enjoyed gardening and the waterfalls and classical music programs that the Brevard area offered. Roy was a diehard Michigan Wolverine. Even on his last day, he wore his U of M hat hiking in Malta where he was greeted by a fellow wolverine with a "Go Blue!"

Roy is survived by wife, Elizabeth Bates; sons Seth (Hope) Penchansky and Lee (Katherine) Penchansky; stepdaughter Emily (William) Gold; brother Alan Penchansky; and seven grandchildren: Cassidy, Sacha, Parker, Charlotte, Abigail, Evelyn and Samantha.

Donations in Roy's name may be made to Hope Clinic, Bayboro, NC; Pamlico Musical Society, Oriental, NC; or the Brevard Music Center, Brevard, NC.

Roy wished to be cremated and a private memorial will be held at a later date.

Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com