Paul Archer McClelland

Paul Archer McClelland, a beloved Baltimore physician and revered mentor whose work in emergency medicine and psychiatry helped shape the landscape of patient care in Maryland, passed peacefully at home. He was 76.

Born on June 2, 1948, in Mt. Upton, New York, Paul developed the kind of people sense that often comes with life in a small rural town. There, in the house on Main Street - filled with his artist-mother’s inks and his engineer-father’s technical drawings—the future Chief of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center began cultivating his dual-natured way of seeing the world. At the local high school he honed his thoughtful leadership style as captain of the football and basketball teams and as class valedictorian. While in high school, the future “Best Pop Pop in the World” discovered his life’s most meaningful relationship when he met Peg Sutton, whom he would marry in 1971 and with whom he would share a deep, devoted commitment.

Beneath Paul’s early successes was a restless, generous mind drawn to the deeper why. Science gave that curiosity its first true home, leading him into research. He earned a B.S. in Physics from Syracuse University in 1969, graduating as the top physics student that year, and pursued graduate studies in physics at Johns Hopkins University. Along the way, he began teaching—at first to allow Peg to finish her college degree, then for the joy of sharing what he understood. It was this work that gave his curiosity shape. In the high school physics classroom at Western High School, Paul proudly encouraged his students to question and wonder alongside him. These two pursuits—seeking and sharing knowledge—would ultimately converge in a new field: medicine. He enrolled at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, earned his medical degree with a specialization in psychiatry in 1977, and began a 36-year career whose impact was felt across Baltimore.

Paul moved through the world with both heart and mind fully engaged. He held leadership roles as Chief of Psychiatry at several of the area’s top hospitals, and also Chief of Staff at St. Agnes. He served as President of the Maryland Psychiatric Society, was Medical Director of the Physician’s Health Program, sat on the board of Healthcare for the Homeless, and was a member of St. Agnes Hospital’s Helping Hands Society. Time and again, those around him—patients, physicians, nurses, medical students, community leaders, and hospital staff—celebrated his deep compassion, easy accessibility, and thoughtful leadership. He received the inaugural Bayley Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service at St. Agnes Hospital, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maryland Psychiatric Society, and was honored as Teacher of the Year at every hospital where he worked.

Paul loved science, music, art, history, travel, and sports—and could speak knowledgeably on all of them. He was one of those rare individuals who truly listened, which made him a respected colleague and a treasured friend. His kindness and thoughtfulness were evident in the many professional relationships that lasted throughout his life. Paul expressed his devotion to family in countless ways, perhaps most poignantly in the handwritten letters he left for his wife, sons, daughters-in-law, and grandson.

In retirement, Paul found more time for both family and his many interests. He enjoyed museum visits, online learning, and collaborating with his grandson, Luke, on genealogy and other projects. He and Peg traveled widely, hosted family and friends for lunches and dinners, and remained devoted fans of the Baltimore Orioles, the Ravens, and all of Luke’s sports teams.

His life was never about a single calling. It was the rare kind of pursuit that gathers, layer by layer, into a whole self: inquisitive, thoughtful, and quietly devoted to others.

He is survived by his wife, Peg; two sons, Brian (and wife Tara McClelland) and Kevin (and wife Melissa Brannon); and his grandson, Luke.

He will be greatly missed.

A memorial gathering will be held for Paul at the Candle Light Funeral Home, Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 3:00pm-5:00pm. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Healthcare for the Homeless (1 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201) or Scouting America – Minsi Trails Council (991 Postal Road, Allentown, PA 18109).