George Paz, 1955-2022
George Paz, a current member of the Saint Louis University Board of Trustees and the former chairman and CEO of Express Scripts, passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 23, 2022. He was 67.
"George Paz was a key member of the Board of Trustees at Saint Louis University and he was incredibly effective in that role," said Joseph Conran (’67, ’70), chair of the SLU Board of Trustees. "He cared deeply for our students, particularly those who came from families with limited financial resources. He was widely admired and highly respected. His passing will create a huge void in our lives"
"George Paz was an engaged and dedicated Trustee, and a faithful supporter of SLU," added University President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D. "He asked important questions and shared valuable expertise that strengthened our medical education, clinical affairs, and the work of the University as a whole. His contributions will have a lasting impact on SLU. George will be deeply missed, personally and professionally. Our hearts go out to the Paz family."
George Paz
Born in St. Louis and the grandson of Mexican immigrants, Mr. Paz was the first person in his family to earn a college degree. He worked his way through school at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting in 1982.
After earning his degree, Mr. Paz climbed the corporate ranks to become one of the leading CEOs in the United States. By the time he retired in 2016, he had helped grow Express Scripts into a $100 billion Fortune 25 industry leader and the largest pharmacy benefit management company in the nation.
In addition to being a visionary business leader, Mr. Paz was also known for his commitment to philanthropy, especially in supporting education. At SLU, he had served on the Board of Trustees since 2017, and he and his family generously supported student scholarships as part of the University’s historic Accelerating Excellence Campaign. Mr. Paz also served on boards at UMSL, Washington University and Logos School, which specializes in behavioral therapy for adolescents.
"From as early as I can remember, my father was adamant that we go to school and get an education," Mr. Paz told Latino Leaders Magazine in 2018. "We did not have much growing up, and we had to work for everything we had. I understood right away that an education was a ticket to the kind of life he wanted us all to have."
Last year, Mr. Paz and his wife, Melissa, received UMSL’s E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Medal for Philanthropy, an award recognizing individuals and organizations whose incredible generosity has the potential to transform lives and communities.
"We all have a chance in our life to make a difference," Mr. Paz said at the time. "We can do it through our work. We can do it through our actions, but very importantly, we can do it through our philanthropy. It is very important that to the extent that we’ve been successful and had an opportunity to make a difference, we should pay that forward. We should continue to help others get the same opportunities we got."
Memorial donations may be made to the SLU Emergency Student Aid Scholarship Fund at giving.slu.edu/paz.
Mr. Paz is survived by his wife, Melissa, three daughters and 10 grandchildren. A memorial and celebration of life for Mr. Paz will be held on Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the UMSL campus. Doors open at 2 p.m. and services begin at 3 p.m. Attendees can park in Lot E at Touhill's main entrance
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