John F. Alksne M.D.

John F. Alksne, MD, Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery and longtime Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego passed away peacefully, on May 17th, surrounded by his loving family. He died after a battle with vascular dementia. Dr. Alksne was a renowned neurosurgeon who cared for thousands of patients with neurological conditions ranging from epilepsy, to tumors, aneurysms, infections and strokes. He pioneered the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, discovering (along with Peter Jannetta) a treatment that eliminated the facial pain associated with the condition. Patients came to Dr. Alksne from all over the world to solve this painful and maddening disease. He was also an innovator in the stereotactic use of magnetic iron acrylics for the treatment of surgically inaccessible aneurysms.As Professor Emeritus of Neurological Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Alksne spent nearly fifty years training residents and fellows who have gone on to become renowned in their respective field. He joined UC San Diego in 1971 as a Professor of Neurological Surgery, where he founded the Neurosurgery Department and served as its Chief until 1995. He was appointed Dean of the School of Medicine in 1992, Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences in 1994, and continued in both positions until 1999. He established the Epilepsy Surgery Program at UC San Diego Health, and was honored with a special commendation by the Epilepsy Society of San Diego County in 1992. And he was instrumental in establishing the UC San Diego program in gene therapy, which includes research, training and clinical trials. As Dr. Alexander Khalessi, Chair of Neurological Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, observed, "John was a consummate gentleman and surgical teacher. His leadership leaves an enduring legacy at UC San Diego. It's no accident our Department's most joyous occasion, our residency graduation, bears his name. Training tomorrow's surgeons was his passion and his legacy." Prior to joining UC San Diego, Dr. Alksne was Chief of Neurosurgery at Harbor General Hospital at UC Los Angeles from 1964-67 and Professor and Chair of Neurological Surgery at the Medical College of Virginia from 1967-71. He completed his residency training at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he also earned his medical degree.While most knew John Alksne as a renowned brain surgeon, those who knew him well recognized that he could fix almost anything. His first love was car engines, which he discovered while working as a mechanic at his uncle's garage in Palo Alto during high school. Once he became a neurosurgeon, he often joked that "the brain is just like a car engine, it's just not color-coded." He enjoyed spending time with his children, and was a long board surfer in the 1960's and 70's. Ever the neurosurgeon, and way ahead of his time, he was the only surfer in the Shores who wore an orange motorcycle helmet with holes drilled into it while he surfed. While his family is extremely proud of his professional accomplishments, he will be most rememberedand missed by allbecause he was such a devoted father. He coached his kids' little league teams, helped care for their horses, went to their wrestling matches and cheered at football games. He would happily come to elementary school classes armed with human and pig brains to show off in science class and even put casts on every kid who wanted one. He loved to drive cross-country, camp, and stay in KOA's--eating beans and sandwiches he expertly prepared. But mostly, he loved to take his family skiing--from Snoqualmie Pass to St Anton, to Snowmass. (And he was one of the first people to wear a helmet.) This family ski trip tradition continued for years as he took children, spouses and grandchildren to Tahoe yearly. Dr. Alksne is survived by his 3 living children: Milton Alksne, Cynthia Alksne (Steve McMahon), and Lorna Alksne (Chris McKellar), his step-daughter, Elizabeth Robson, and 10 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, with a 3rd great grandchild on the way. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ofelia Alksne, his son Ward Alksne and his first wife Patti Alksne. The family extends their gratitude to his devoted caregivers, Irene and Norma. They have been angels these last two years. There will be a private family service. The family is grateful for the support of family and friends and especially his esteemed colleagues at UC San Diego. In lieu of flowers or items, please consider a donation to the Epilepsy Foundation in San Diego, epilepsysandiego.org.