Roberto Moulun, a gifted story teller and longtime resident of Ajijic, died Monday, September 30 in a local clinic after a brief illness. He was 89.
Born to a Spanish mother and French father in Guatemala, Moulun received his undergraduate degrees from Instituto Modelo, Guatemala City, and his medical degree from the National University of Mexico in Mexico City.
His medical residency and post-doctoral studies were at the prestigious Menninger Foundation, School of Psychiatry, Topeka, Kansas and at the Seton Psychiatric Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. After completing his residency in 1962 he moved to Hawaii where he was the Chief of Services and Psychiatric Supervisor at Hawaii State Hospital, Kaneohe, Hawaii.
In retirement, Moulun moved to Ajijic in 1999. Until his last days, he was frequently seen in the Ajijic plaza and at his favorite table at El Jardin restaurant.
Moulun had written articles and short stories for most of his life, but his first book was published only last year when he was 88. The book, “The Iguana Speaks My Name,” is available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon. It is published by Egret Books, an English-language publisher in Guadalajara.
The book was named one of the top 25 independent books of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews. Moulun’s book was described by Kirkus as “imaginative storytelling with real literary depth” with “lush landscapes, enchanted happenings, tangled roots and violence suffuse this beguiling collection of stories set in the highlands of Guatemala.”
In addition to his book, Moulun wrote many award-winning articles for Ojo del Lago magazine.
His last hours were spent with close friends and his daughter, Renee Moulun, Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oregon.
A memorial service will be held later this month, the date and location to be announced.