Roy Flores, chancellor of PIma Community College since 2003 said he plans to step down by the end of the year.

Flores publicly announced his pending retirement late Fridayafternoon, saying his recent health problems had made him reconsider his priorities.

The chancellor, who turns 70 in April, had a quadruple bypass in October to repair blocked arteries and returned to work, seemingly fit, several weeks later.

But Flores said Friday he still suffers from residual health problems, such as nerve damage from a torn rotator cuff, and requires ongoing physical therapy.

In a letter to PCC employees Friday, the chancellor said he “can’t remember the last time I had a real vacation.”

“This decision was not made easily or hastily,” he said.

“But it should not come as a surprise that quadruple bypass surgery and an impending 70th birthday provide a compelling incentive to reassess one's priorities.”

Read more in Saturday’s Arizona Daily Star