10/06/2018 Jenny Sanders, DPM
The Passing of Paul Scherer, DPM
How do you distill a nearly 30-year friendship
into a few simple sentences? It’s impossible,
but I’ll try.
Paul Scherer was an accomplished craftsman,
whose skilled hands taught students and
residents, surgical planning and precision. In
1989, he used these same talents to create and
grow ProLab from a fledgling startup, into an
internationally recognized orthotic lLab.
Paul Scherer was a thoughtful, charismatic and
inspirational educator. As others have attested,
the world of podiatric biomechanics now exists,
in large part because of Paul’s commitment to
our profession and his unwavering belief in the
importance of biomechanics to our profession.
Paul Scherer was a dedicated and passionate
supporter of not only podiatry causes but many
other spiritual, political and philosophical
causes as well. A below-the-radar activist
describes much of Paul’s involvement outside of
the world of podiatry. His influence spread
further than most of us realized.
Paul Scherer was generous. Whether funding a
podiatry student’s education or providing a
terminally ill, former student and his family to
a once-in-a-lifetime, all-expense paid trip
overseas, Paul wouldn’t hesitate to help others
less fortunate or in need.
Paul Scherer was a hopelessly devoted family man
whose most profound joy in life were the times
he shared with family. Despite his many
professional accomplishments, his family was
unquestionably his greatest accomplishment of
all.
Although deeply saddened by our shared loss, it
is with great honor and privilege, that I count
myself blessed to have known this remarkable
man.
Rest in Peace, my dear friend.
Jenny Sanders, DPM, San Francisco, CA
10/06/2018 Joseph C D’Amico, DPM
The Passing of Paul Scherer, DPM
It was with great surprise and sadness that I
learned of the passing of Paul R Scherer DPM. As
Josh Gerbert DPM affirmed, he was one of the
original and continued great minds, teachers,
and doers in biomechanics. Paul was taught by
the legendary, stalwart pioneers in
biomechanics: Mert Root, Bill Orien, John Weed,
and Tom Sgarlato but he also possessed an
uncanny, innate administrative ability that
served him well in his many academic and
commercially related positions.
It was Paul Scherer who offered me a position in
the Department of Biomechanics at CCPM and made
me acting Chairman when he became Academic Dean.
I’ve always been indebted to him for that
opportunity. Over the years I got the chance to
see and chat with Paul at a number of
biomechanics seminars whenever one or both of us
were lecturing as well as anytime he was in New
York.
We have lost a gentleman and a leader in the
profession and I have lost a friend. Please
extend my deepest condolences to his wife Annie
and his children.
Joseph C D’Amico, DPM
10/06/2018 Jason Harrill, DPM
The Passing of Paul Scherer, DPM
I am saddened to hear of the sudden passing of
Dr. Paul Scherer, who was one of my professors
and mentors at the California College of
Podiatric Medicine. He was an excellent
instructor for a very challenging course topic
of biomechanics and always brightened the topic
with his excellent sense of humor. He was always
incredibly generous to our class and would
always pass bits of wisdom about podiatry and
life on to students.
After graduation, I used what I felt was the
best laboratory in the nation for orthotics with
Pro-lab and consulted with Dr. Scherer on
numerous occasions. He was also very generous to
donate his time as a lecturer and sponsor at the
ACFAOM annual scientific conference. He set a
standard of high achievement for all of us to
strive for and he will truly be missed.
Jason Harrill, DPM
10/05/2018 Board of Directors, American Board of Podiatric Medicine
RE: The Passing of Paul Scherer, DPM
It is with deep regret that the American Board
of Podiatric Medicine learned of the recent
passing of Dr. Paul Scherer. Paul’s prominence
as a long-time leader in the profession was
utterly well deserved, as an educator in the
area of biomechanics, through his lecturing and
as owner and CEO of Pro-Lab, one of the finest
orthotic labs in the nation. To the extent that
platitudes must be given at such a time of
sadness, his contributions to the profession
over an extended period of time certainly secure
his place in it. Beyond that is the sorrow
felt by many of us who, over the years, were
trained by him, lectured with him, debated with
him, or were personal friends, as is true of
several of the ABPM Directors, past and present.
Paul was among the first in our profession to
emphasize the need for evidence-based use of
orthoses. He maintained an unwavering
commitment to a standard of excellence in the
products generated by his laboratory, supported
by the best available evidence regarding the
nature and method by which foot and lower
extremity orthoses deliver their benefits.
Paul – If there is a hereafter, we want you to
know what you have meant to so many of us. For
those of us who learned from you and who took it
upon themselves to continue in your footsteps,
you will always be welcome to look over our
shoulder to make sure we do the job well.
Board of Directors, American Board of Podiatric
Medicine
10/05/2018 Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
RE: The Passing of Paul Scherer, DPM
I was very saddened to hear about the passing of
one of my CCPM biomechanics professors,
colleagues and friends, Dr. Paul Scherer.
Dr. Scherer was the Dean at the California
College of Podiatry Medicine during my podiatry
student years. Later, Paul was a member of the
CCPM biomechanics faculty during my Biomechanics
Fellowship where I learned from him nearly
daily, greatly enjoying his personality,
intellect and clinical skills.
Paul was a man of many talents and a tireless
worker for the podiatry profession, also
creating ProLab Orthosis Lab and Podiatry Plan
Organization, to name a few of his
accomplishments. Paul also wrote and edited an
excellent book on foot orthoses a few years ago,
“Recent Advances in Orthotic Therapy”.
https://www.amazon.com/Recent-Advances-Orthotic-
Therapy-Scherer/dp/0979947537
However, if there is such a thing as the one
best contribution that Dr. Paul Scherer made to
the podiatry profession, it would have to be his
amazing hard work and talent at producing, as
Scientific Chairman, the finest set of foot and
lower extremity biomechanics seminars ever held
in the United States, the Prescription Foot
Orthotic Lab Association (PFOLA) Annual
International Conference on Foot Biomechanics
and Orthotic Therapy.
During the ten years that Paul organized these
annual PFOLA seminars, from 1998 to 2007, he
made certain that the best international foot
and lower extremity biomechanics experts were
lecturing and giving workshops so that
podiatrists and other foot-health practitioners
from all parts of the world could come together,
learn, be able to share ideas and socialize with
one another.
I spoke with Paul often during this ten-year
period about his plans for the next PFOLA
seminar and participated in all of them. His
excitement and commitment to this worthwhile
endeavor for the worldwide podiatry profession
was genuine and palpable. Paul always wanted
the best for podiatry and his PFOLA seminars
during this ten-year period certainly reflected
his enthusiasm for podiatric education.
Many of my international podiatric biomechanics
colleagues and friends very much looked forward
to the annual PFOLA meeting that Paul organized
since they always knew that the latest and best
foot biomechanics and foot orthosis research and
techniques would be presented at these meetings.
We were all saddened when Dr. Scherer could no
longer organize these important meetings after
2007 since the PFOLA seminars always reflected
his great talents and love for our profession.
Since I was informed of Paul’s death, numerous
podiatrists from around the world who were
positively influenced by Paul’s pleasant
personality, generosity, intellect and teaching
skills have expressed their heartfelt
condolences of his passing since they know that
Dr. Paul Scherer was a one-of-a-kind podiatrist
and educator. Goodbye, Paul. May you rest in
peace and thank you ever so much for what you
have done for me and the podiatry profession.
Kevin A. Kirby, DPM, Sacramento, CA
