David Quarton was on his way to becoming a medical missionary when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
He had to drop his studies and eventually moved to Denver, where he helped establish a center to help the mentally ill.
Quarton died at a Denver care center July 18 at age 76. He had suffered from cancer.
Quarton was given several awards for his advocacy on behalf of the mentally ill.
“He was one of the most respected people in the mental- health consumer community,” said David Burgess, executive director of Capitol Hill Action and Recreation Group (CHARG) Resource Center, which Quarton had helped start.
Burgess said Quarton had told him that he was grateful his life went in the direction it did, because he could help people and didn’t believe he was suited to be a medical missionary.
“He had a moral compass and a well-thought-out value system,” Burgess said.
Quarton “was very functional and intelligent, and his mind was as sharp as a tack until he died,” said Jennifer Miller, who is drop-in coordinator for CHARG.
CHARG has two locations, both in east Denver. One is the drop-in clinic, and the other is a mental-health clinic. CHARG’s aim is to make partnerships among those who have a mental illness, mental- health professionals and the community, according to the organization’s Web page.
David Jerome Mafille Quarton was born in Framingham, Mass., on Jan. 30, 1935.
He earned a degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., and a master’s degree in physics from Clark University in Worcester, Mass. He ran a mass spectrometry lab at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Massachusetts.
He was president of CHARG in the 1980s and was named an honorary member of the consumer board for the rest of his life.
Quarton testified before the Denver City Council about rights for the mentally ill and before the Colorado Joint Budget Committee on aid to the disabled.
He received the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award in 1998 and was honored in 2000 by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for his advocacy work.
When not on the job, he did research in physics and wrote about the interrelationship between physics and some religious traditions. He also tutored people in algebra and statistics.
“He was always selfless, a good speaker and tireless advocate,” said his wife, Barbara.
“David wanted people to know they had a life outside of their mental illness,” said Cathy Williams, a friend and co-worker at CHARG.
Quarton married Barbara Pigford on Oct. 2, 1989.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his brother, Evan Quarton of Whiting, N.J., and nieces and nephews.
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
