1923 – July 23, 2021
Merritt C. Warren ’56 was born in 1923 in Chungking, China, and passed away July 23, 2021, in La Jolla, California, at age 97. He attended Far Eastern Academy in Singapore until war erupted and Americans were evacuated. He subsequently graduated from Loma Linda Academy and Pacific Union College.
After marrying Shirley Rey Tamka, he spent several years pastoring in rural California before attending medical school at Loma Linda University (LLU). He interned in the U.S. Army, assigned to OB-GYN at Letterman Hospital, followed by Washington state’s Camp Hanford. Returning to California, he practiced general medicine and later pediatrics.
He was chief resident at Fresno Children’s when the landmark “Case of the Poisoned Pants,” occurred. Several young boys presented in critical condition, and quick-thinking doctors diagnosed their reaction to exposure to an organic phosphate that had spilled on their jeans.
Dr. Warren obtained board certifications in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology and was a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Cardiology.
Dr. Warren joined the LLU faculty for a time and went on to teach at UC Davis. He established and ran pediatric cardiology services at the Permanente Medical Group, Sacramento for almost 20 years. He also founded Parents With Heart, a pioneering support group for families of children needing cardiac care.
Dr. Warren and Shirley were married 69 years until her death in 2013. These last eight years he reveled in participating in the childhoods of his great-grandchildren. Dr. Warren is survived by his brother, Donald Warren; son, Lawrence Warren; daughter, Judy Warren-Tippets; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.