February 28, 1922 - February 14, 2006

Dr. Luis M. Arbona stepped through the doors of Reality in 1972 as its medical director. Often described as "not of this planet," he rose from humble beginnings in rural Utuado, Puerto Rico to become a gifted and pioneering physician and humanitarian. At age six, he lost his father to tuberculosis, and helped to feed the family by sweeping floors for twenty-five cents per week and later making furniture. He decided that healing the sick was the most noble thing he could do, and never waivered from following his dream.
Dr. Arbona's distinguished career evolved from surgeon and general practitioner to psychiatrist, and took him from Mexico to New York, Maryland and Washington, DC. Seeing the devastating effects of substance abuse and mental illness on families and communities, he dedicated his life to improving mental health and relieving the suffering caused by addiction. He was recognized among his peers for his tenacity, intelligence, teaching ability, innate assessment skills and deep insight. He broke barriers as a vice chief of Prince Georges Hospital, challenging old stigmas of both psychiatry and alcoholism, and founding Maryland's first public alcoholic treatment unit. Known for his remarkable bedside manner, he saw his patients as people with value, rather than as disease entities. In his twenty years at Reality House, he transformed many lives, helping all who crossed his path. His motto was to "Always Give Hope." Dr. Luis Arbona was a shining ray of light, whose tireless service, generosity of spirit and compassion are truly a gift to humanity. In memoriam, we thank him.

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