Jerome Motto

1921 - 2015

Dr. Jerome A. Motto

Oct 16, 1921 - Jan 4, 2015

Dr. Jerome A. Motto (Jerry) died unexpectedly on January 4, 2015 at Mills Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame, California at the age of 93.
Jerry is survived by his wife Pat Conway Motto, and his children Josh Motto, his wife Jacki, and Hannah Hall, her husband Wade, and his five grandchildren Annelise, Kaitlin, and Matthew Motto, and Ethan and Grady Hall. He is also survived by three nephews, two nieces and their children. Jerry was proceeded in death by his three elder siblings Herbert Motto, Gertrude Mandelbaum, and Sandy Sanford.
Born on October 16, 1921 to Helen and Jacob Motto, Jerry grew up in Santa Barbara, California. While attending college at Santa Barbara State University, World War II was declared and Jerry was deployed by the US Army to European Theater of Operation as Captain of the 3989th Quartermaster Truck Company; a participant in the historic Battle of the Bulge. Following his discharge from the Army, Jerry transferred to the University of California at Berkley to finish his undergraduate studies. He then attended medical school at the University of California San Francisco and completed his residency at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1955 Jerry joined the teaching faculty at UCSF Langley Porter Department of Psychiatry. During his time at UCSF as a practicing psychiatrist and professor, Jerry specialized in suicide and depression. In 1968, he received a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to study persons admitted to SF hospitals for depression and/or suicidal attempts or ideations. The results of this study became the subject of many international publications.
Jerry was a Distinguished Life Fellow of NCPS and the American Psychiatric Association. He was the recipient of numerous awards including Best Teacher Award, UCSF School of Medicine Graduating Class, 1959 and American Association of Suicidology Dublin Award for contributions to the field of suicide prevention, 1979. He served on research grant review committees of the National Institute of Mental Health, 1968-72, and the Center for Disease Control, 1968-91. He was President, American Association for Suicide Prevention, 1973-77, and cited in Best Doctors in America (Suicidology) 1992-97. Jerry served as a lecturer, invited presenter and submitted scientific research papers to the International Congress of the International Association of Suicide Prevention, the World Psychiatric Association, the American Psychiatric Association, American Medical Association, as well as other international and national meetings. Jerry is credited with over a hundred published articles, chapters, manuscripts, and books in professional literature. His professional services included various branches of the State Department, Bay Area school districts, Veterans Medical Centers throughout the Western States and Province of Quebec.
Over the span of 30 years, Jerry worked tirelessly with various groups in proposing a suicide barrier for the Golden Gate Bridge. Finally, in June 2014 a suicide barrier was approved and funded for the Golden Gate Bridge. Jerry was elated.
Jerry was an avid tennis player. He was a long time member of a San Francisco Tennis Club, where he played tennis every week until his retirement. Family, music, and stamp collecting were other passions that Jerry enjoyed over the course of his life.
Jerry supported more than 30 charities, volunteered in the medical community, sang in the church choir, and was a devoted husband, father, and friend.
Jerry found great joy basking in the love and laughter of his five grandchildren. Their Grandpa will be dearly missed, but always remembered for his kind, cheerful smile, gentle, loving spirit, and unconditional love.
If preferred the family suggests donations to Doctors without Borders, Southern Poverty Law Center, Samaritan House of San Mateo, or Suicide Prevention Centers of your choice.