In Memoriam: Dr. John H. Menkes
Dr. John H. Menkes, who established the pediatric neurology program at UCLA, died Nov. 22 in Los Angeles of cancer. He was 79.
Among his many achievements was the discovery of Menkes disease, a rare disorder caused by a defective enzyme that blocks the metabolism of copper. It affects about one in 250,000 infants. A pediatric neurologist, he also wrote three novels and three plays later in his career. All three plays were produced in Los Angeles, and one, a Holocaust drama entitled "The Last Inquisitor," captured the Drama-Logue Award.
"John Menkes was a remarkable individual, an extraordinary physician, scientist, but also a playwright and a novelist," said Dr. Raman Sankar, the current chief of pediatric neurology who considered Menkes his teacher and later his colleague.
Born Dec. 20, 1928, in Vienna, Menkes attended high school at Wesley College in Dublin, Ireland, and continued his education at Dorsey High School after his family immigrated to Los Angeles. At USC, he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in organic chemistry and received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
While a resident at Johns Hopkins, Menkes was drafted by the Air Force and sent to Newfoundland, Canada, where he served as chief of the pediatric section of the hospital at Pepperrell Air Force Base.
In 1966, he came to UCLA to head the first division of pediatric neurology on the West Coast. Years later, he left the university to set up his own practice in Beverly Hills and also served as an expert witness in several court trials for plaintiffs who alleged that their children had been harmed by a vaccine.
Menkes is survived by his third wife, Myrna; two sons, Simon of Atlanta and Rafael of Manhattan Beach; a daughter, Tamara of Los Angeles; a stepson, Gregory Stogel of Prague, Czech Republic; a stepdaughter, Sydney Simon of Los Angeles; and a granddaughter, Madeleine.
A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Dec. 12 at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles.
