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Irla Lee Zimmerman Oetzel

1923 - 2020

Irla Oetzel Obituary

October 6, 1923 - January 6, 2020 Irla Lee ("Lee") Zimmerman Oetzel died peacefully in her sleep on January 6, 2020, at the age of 96. A lifelong Southern California resident, Lee studied at UCLA and earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology. She wrote numerous publications on child development and most notably was the senior author of the Preschool Language Scale (PLS), originally published in 2002 and still widely used in its current fifth edition.An avid birder, Lee traveled the world on bird-watching excursions, served as president of the local Audubon Society and participated for many years in a bird study club. She supported many progressive causes and was a fierce advocate for women's rights. Friends will remember her love of Gilbert & Sullivan operas, cryptogram puzzles, her quick wit, generosity and indomitable spirit. At Lee's request, there will be no memorial service.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Los Angeles Times from Jan. 18 to Jan. 19, 2020.

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Russell Johnson

January 11, 2021

For many years, Irla (Lee) attended our "Programs in Medical Classics" lectures and dinners at UCLA and contributed to the rich academic community. At the Biomedical Library, I sometimes helped her track down references that cited her scale. She was a quietly intense and very nice person. She always wanted to make sure she was getting proper credit for her work, which is very understandable! Thus, it is important to note that she first published her PLS (Preschool Language Scale) in 1969; 2002 saw its 4th edition. -- Russell Johnson, Curator for History of Medicine and the Sciences, UCLA Library Special Collections

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