Donald F. Tierney

1931 - 2021

Donald F. Tierney

Salem - Don passed away peacefully at his home in Salem, Oregon surrounded by family on January 28, 2021. Don was born May 24, 1931 in Butte, Montana to Violet (MacDonald) and Frank Tierney. His childhood in the volatile mining town of Butte was highlighted by his many summer trips to Glacier National Park, his winter speed skating competitions resulting in state champion at the age of 14, and his early interest in science fostered by Violet's younger brother, Uncle George, a high school chemistry teacher who lived with the family.

At the age of 18, Don was awarded a national merit scholarship to attend California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, CA. Soon after, Don met the love of his life Claire Nelson, a Pasadena native, who became his loving wife and partner in their wonderful life.

Don received his medical degree from University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and his residency training at the University of Pennsylvania and UCSF. He then served on the faculty in the Department of Physiology at UCSF and as Visiting Scientist at the University of London in London, England. Don happily returned to southern California when he became an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he served from 1969 to 1974. Don transferred to the UCLA Medical Center on the Westwood campus as a Professor of Medicine where he continued his innovative research and teaching in the area of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. In 1980, he was promoted to Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and served in that role through 1992.

Don was a major contributor to one of the most important breakthroughs in respiratory physiology, the understanding that surface tension is a major force that keeps the lung air sacs open to allow breathing. He also contributed to the discovery that the amount of supplemental positive end expiratory pressure in the lung was critical to ensure survival of prematurely born infants and in preventing adult respiratory distress syndrome. Other important studies included mediators of lung injury in oxygen toxicity. Throughout his career, Don was invited to lecture at medical universities in Europe, South America, and Japan, and published over 60 peer-reviewed research papers.

A colleague of Don's stated, "He was universally admired as the quintessential gentleman-scholar whose leadership of our division, distinguished by fairness, integrity, decency, intellectual rigor and vision, commanded the utmost respect and admiration of his peers and trainees."

Another area in which Don excelled was in service to his profession and UCLA. He was elected President of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) from 1978-79 and served on numerous committees for the California Thoracic Society (CTS), American Lung Association (ALA), and National Institute of Health (NIH). Upon his retirement, he was named professor emeritus following his years of outstanding service at UCLA.

Once retired, Don could fully pursue his favorite past-time: mountain biking in the foothills in and around Pacific Palisades, where he resided. He also immensely enjoyed traveling with his family — Hawaii was always one of his favorite places, as was anywhere in Europe. Years after his early childhood adventures in Glacier National Park, Don returned with his family and grandchildren to share his love of hiking, fly fishing, and picking wild huckleberries. Let it be known that Don rarely found a berry patch he didn't enjoy, and up to his last days enjoyed daily marionberry muffins.

Don is survived by his wife Claire; his daughter Laura and her husband Rick Yurk, Salem, OR; his son Bruce and his wife Lynn, Irvine, CA; his sister Jan and her husband Jess Daniels, Vancouver, WA; and his three wonderful grandchildren Riley, Julia and Lauren.

Needless to say, Don will be dearly missed and lives forever in our hearts! Arrangements by City View Funeral Home and Cemetery in Salem.