Lawrence H. Vinis

Dr. Lawrence H. Vinis, an Anesthesiologist at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital for the past 16 years, died Tuesday morning, July 15, 2008, at the age of 58. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Vinis; two sons: Charles, 19, and Edward, 16; his mother, Louise Vinis, all of Eugene; and his brother, John Vinis, of Richmond, Virginia.

Known by many names – Lawrence, Larry or Lorenzo – and in many roles and many costumes, he was a passionate lover of opera and served on the opera board for several years. He was an amateur painter and exhibited in the Mayor's Art Show. He was an avid Ducks fan and a great traveler.

He was born in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1949, and grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Evanston, Illinois and St. Petersburg, Florida. He graduated from Tulane University in 1970 and from the Tulane School of Medicine in New Orleans in 1973 where he also pursued a residency in Psychiatry in 1976-78.

During his medical training he was a staff physician at Charity Hospital in New Orleans from 1974-1976 and later became general practitioner in a clinic for low-income patients from 1976-78, a role he recalled with pride and pleasure for the rest of his life. In 1980 he completed a residency in Anesthesiology at George Washington University and was in attendance when President Reagan was shot. He served as anesthesiologist in Warrenton, VA, Takoma Park, MD, and Washington, D.C. and moved to Eugene in 1991, where he joined the McKenzie Anesthesia Group at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and then the Oregon Anesthesiology Group in 2007.

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, July 23, at 1 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, 3925 Hilyard Street, Eugene. A private burial will be held at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Memorial gifts should be sent in his name to the UO School of Music Opera Program. Checks should be addressed to the UO Foundation, 1225 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1228.

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